Habitual Infatuation
by Quinn Anderson
Summary: Dedicated to Sorachan. Sasuke finds out more than he ever cared to know about Naruto and decides to play a dangerous game of seduction. Kakashi will, of course, have his say before the end. SasuNaru.
1. Chapter 1

_Here it is at last: the fic that all my fans despised me for creating. I've been neglecting every other story that I have running right now in order to finish this delectable Naruto yaoi in as short a time as possible. I got the idea for it while talking to a friend of mine who is leaving for college in two months. She liked the concept of 'habitual infatuation' (which will be explained) so much that she suggested I write a fic around it as her graduation present. So, we quickly started work on an outline for the plot, got it finished at roughly ten chapters, and set the deadline. I had to write this story for her before she graduated in May. .:wipes brow:. Here we go. _

_Disclaimer: This fic is dedicated to my wonderful friend, Sora-chan. I haven't known you for as long as I'd have liked, but the fact that I'm writing yaoi for you is evidence enough of how much I love you. Even if we lose contact once you move on to the next step in your life, this story will always be here to remind me of a great friend. _

_Naruto is the property of its respective owner and is certainly not my creation. _

_**Warning: **This story is yaoi and contains adult themes and homoerotica. Don't like, don't read. Also, it's meant to be more amusing than it is anything else. Be on the lookout for bad attempts at humor XD. _

**Habitual Infatuation .:. Chapter One**

…

A pair of startling sapphire eyes narrowed into a death glare as they settled on a nearby figure. Blonde hair—bright as sunshine—was rustled by a cool breeze and a tanned hand brushing back a few loose strands of gold. Uzumaki Naruto surveyed his opponent with careful deliberation, pouring every ounce of his concentration into figuring out his next move. His breath was coming in shallow gasps, and sweat beaded on his brow. The two shinobi had been sparring for nearly an hour now, and neither seemed to be making any progress towards winning.

_Stupid teme is playing with me, _Naruto observed as his eyes continued to watch the other boy like a hawk. Uchiha Sasuke was standing coolly across the clearing from him, still and silent. Naruto had been putting every ounce of strength into his attacks since the beginning of the match and was tiring quickly because of it. Sasuke, on the other hand, was yet to break a sweat. _He doesn't even consider me a worthy opponent, _Naruto ranted silently, rage boiling up within him. _He thinks he can just play with me for hours on end and then toss me aside when he gets bored. I won't stand for it! I'm going to be the next Hokage, and I won't let anyone get in my way!_

Naruto suddenly launched himself across the field, determined to knock that smug look from the other ninja's face. He threw his body heedlessly forward, blind determination propelling him into an all-out assault. A look of surprise came into Sasuke's dark eyes, as if he couldn't believe the other boy was trying something so blunt. Naruto took this as a good sign and pulled a fist back, preparing to smash it into his rival's pretty face.

Before he could execute his attack, his dark-haired opponent suddenly threw back his head and laughed…loudly. A moment later, Naruto found himself trapped in a headlock with Sasuke's warm breath at his ear.

"Dobe, what do you think you're doing?" Sasuke asked in a mocking tone from behind him. Naruto hadn't even seen him move. "A true shinobi does not throw himself recklessly into battle. We are taught to use stealth and patience to achieve our goals. You seem to lack the ability to use either. That is why you will never be a ninja, Naruto. You lack subtlety."

"Shut your fucking mouth, teme!" the blonde boy screeched as he wrenched himself from his rival's grasp. He hated being shown up by Sasuke more than anything else in the world. He especially hated it when the other boy did strange things like sneak up behind him and whisper slowly in his ear. It sent shivers down his spine in ways he couldn't explain. "You're going to pay for that, you bastard!"

Naruto was tempted to throw his strongest jutsu into the battle, but then he remembered the rules. _This is simply a sparring match. Actual weapons can be used, but no chakra is to be utilized for attack purposes. _Naruto grumbled and grabbed one of the kunai at his side, launching it as his rival's head with one smooth motion. Sasuke ducked easily out of the weapon's way, but he wasn't so quick to dodge the blow that Naruto threw at his head in the wake of his other attack.

"Gotcha!" Naruto cried as he felt his fist connect with something solid, but his victory was short-lived. A log appeared in the place that Sasuke had been in moments before, splintering under Naruto's attack.

"That's cheating!" the blonde cried in indignation when Sasuke appeared an instant later on the other side of the field. "We're not supposed to use our ninja arts! This is supposed to be a purely hand-to-hand match!"

"Correction, dobe," Sasuke retorted. "We're not supposed to use our chakra to _attack_. The Art of Substitution is a defensive maneuver and is therefore perfectly acceptable." Naruto let out an angry snarl. The dark-haired boy was right, but only technically. Naruto knew his opponent would have no problem using such tricks again in the future. He needed to figure out a trick of his own or Sasuke would hand him a humiliating defeat. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and a grin spread across Naruto's face.

"Well, Sasuke-chan," Naruto replied in a nearly flirtatious tone, "if you need to use technicalities like that in order to have a chance against me, go right on ahead." Naruto batted his eyelashes as a look of utter disbelief came over the other ninja's face.

"S…Sasuke-chan?" Sasuke repeated, obviously dumbfounded by the sudden usage of this cutesy honorific. "Since when am I…Sasuke-chan?" A scowl slapped across his face. "And since when do I need to do anything special to defeat _you_! You're the most pathetic excuse for a ninja in existence!" Naruto bristled at the remark, but recovered quickly enough to resume his scheme. If he could just get Sasuke angry enough…or confused enough…he might be able to break through his guard.

"You don't need to do a lot of the things you do in battle, Sasuke-chan." Naruto took a prancing step forward, swinging his hips. "You don't need to pose the way you do when you know others are watching. You don't need to use all those fancy words and cool tones. You don't need to fix your hair in that way that you know all the local girls love. Yet you do anyway." Naruto was completely lying at this point. He knew for a fact Sasuke would never spend any amount of time preening for girls, but the reaction he got from the other boy was worth it.

"I DO WHAT!"

Naruto nearly flinched at the roar that came from Sasuke. He'd never seen the shinobi show so much emotion at once before. _My plan must be working…that, or I'm about to get my ass kicked. _

"That's not all," Naruto continued, going for the jugular. "Don't act like you're always grabbing me in battle because we're fighting! You do it because you like to!" The blonde wasn't really certain what he was saying now. It was something he'd heard some village boys tease each other about: the desire to touch other boys. They'd made one kid pretty angry when they'd accused him of such a thing, so Naruto figured it would work on Sasuke.

He pranced around in a circle a few more times—for dramatic effect—then threw a glance over his shoulder at Sasuke. What he saw made his jaw drop straight open in the most comical fashion. The Uchiha boy's hands were clenched so tightly into fists they were actually beginning to draw blood, which trickled to the ground at his feet. Sasuke's face had more color in it than Naruto had ever seen. It wasn't much, still, but the contrast was dramatic. "How dare you…" came the soft whisper from between Sasuke's full lips. His head snapped up suddenly, "I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

Naruto sprang quickly out of the way as Sasuke did the one thing no one would ever expect from him: he launched a heedless, thoughtless attack at his enemy. The boy with the fox spirit imprisoned inside him grinned. This was exactly what he'd been hoping for.

"Whassa matter, Sasuke-chan?" he taunted freely, dancing out of the way of the numerous blows his opponent sent after him. "Where's your cool head now? Where's your holier-than-thou attitude? Where are all your great ninja techniques?"

"Shut up. _Shut up_. SHUT UP!" Sasuke emphasized each of these commands with a punch aimed right for Naruto's head.

Before the blonde could recover, Sasuke began his own verbal assault. "I don't know where you get off accusing me of posturing, dobe! You spend all your time running around like an idiot, telling anyone who will listen about your pathetic dream to be the next Hokage! You pose more in five minutes than I ever have in my life!" Sasuke stopped his ferocious punching for a split second, long enough to change to kicking. "And don't act like your hopeless crush on Sakura doesn't effect how you act in battle! You've gotten your ass handed to you more than once because you were too busy giving her moon eyes to see that you were being attacked!"

Naruto sent Sasuke a furious glare. He couldn't believe the other boy was bringing that up at a time like this! "Don't turn this around on me, teme! It's your fault for always acting like you're so much better than me! Why not turn off the superiority complex for a few minutes and see what it's like to be a normal human? Even a robot like you must have an 'off' switch!"

The two continued to bicker back and forth for several hours, oblivious to the bored stares they were receiving from the sidelines.

"Kakashi-sensei, are they just going to argue like that all day?" a pink-haired girl asked, looking up at the man who was training all three of them. The two had been standing at the edge of the clearing this entire time, watching and listening to the fight. Kakashi set down his book for a moment and gave Sakura with his familiar unreadable gaze.

"I'm not sure what those idiots think they're doing, but it's getting boring. Those two need to learn to keep their differences off the battlefield, or they'll never grow beyond their current level." His expression did not change as he passed such harsh judgment on his fledglings. "The only reason I even brought you three to this forest was to help you train away from the distractions of society. It's only us out here for miles and miles. This should be _helping_ their concentration, not giving them a chance to scream freely at each other. It might be time we taught them a lesson."

Sakura cocked her head curiously. "What do you mean, sensei?"

Instead of answering, Kakashi about-faced and began to walk away, his nose planted back in the book he'd been reading earlier. Sakura stared after him in shock for a moment before recovering her senses and running after him. Neither of the two sparring ninjas noticed they'd been left behind, and they wouldn't for quite a while longer.

It wasn't until dusk had settled around them and they both lay panting and sweating in the middle of the clearing that Naruto finally looked to the sidelines. _I bet Kakashi-sensei is proud of me for holding my own for this long. And Sakura must be so jealous that…_

He trailed off as his blue eyes scanned the area that his teacher and other partner had been in the last time he'd checked. They were now nowhere in sight. Shock flooded through him as he realized what must have happened. He turned to Sasuke just in time to see the dark-haired boy pick himself off from the ground, obviously exhausted. "Sasuke-ch…I mean, teme, where's Kakashi-sensei?"

Sasuke froze at Naruto's question, and his eyes quickly darted over to the same area that Naruto had been examining a moment ago.

"Don't tell me…?" Sasuke trailed off as a look of horror came over his face.

The boys locked eyes with each other. A tense moment passed before they screamed in unison, "WE'RE STUCK HERE TOGETHER!"

To be continued…

_I seem to be writing a lot of strangely smut-less chapters lately…Well, no worries, that will end by the next chapter. Consider yourselves warned. Of course, if I don't get reviews, I won't update at all. That's my policy XD. Here are links to my Livejournal and my forums. Both contain useful information: _

Livejournal: http/ www . livejournal . com/users/hieiaijin1410/

Forums: http/ www . fanfiction . net/f/671396/

_Spaces need to be removed. Ja mata!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Woo-hoo, on to chapter two! Some 'serious' conversation in this chapter, more attempts at humor, and plenty o' boy/boy love…kind of. You'll see. This is the chapter where the concept of 'habitual infatuation' is explained. _

_Disclaimer: This chapter…and all the rest…are dedicated to my darling Sora-chan. May she prosper in all her walks of life, now and forever. _

_I own it not, sadly this is true. Full props to Kishimoto-sensei for its creation. _

**Habitual Infatuation .:. Chapter Two**

…

Blue eyes stared into black eyes stared into blue eyes, silent and unmoving. It was impossible to tell which glare contained more pure hatred, but the sparks flying between these two gazes were tangible enough. Two seething ninjas-in-training stared at each other from opposite ends of their makeshift campsite, ignoring the crackling flames of the cooking fire between them.

"You do realize this is entirely your fault, right?" Uchiha Sasuke calmly lacerated his teammate with his harsh words. The silence stretching between them had finally become too much. The dark-haired boy was pissed about being left out here, and he was going to find someone to divert his anger onto. A certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed moron would do fine in his opinion.

Uzumaki Naruto growled furiously and jumped to his feet. "MY FAULT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS _MY_ FAULT, YOU BASTARD! IF YOU HADN'T—"

"Must you yell everything?" Sasuke interrupted, looking coolly away. "You need not scream at me to get your point across. I can understand a worthless fool like you easily enough." Naruto let out another furious growl but dropped back onto his seat on the ground.

_He's such a bastard! _Naruto grumbled in his mind. It had been several hours since they'd noticed Kakashi's disappearance—long enough for the sun to set and plunge them into inky darkness—but the two ninja hadn't stopped arguing once. Even when setting up their shelter for the night under some pine saplings and building a fire to chase off the chilly wind, they'd bickered incessantly. Naruto didn't think he'd ever had such a long conversation with Sasuke before, if it could be called that. In truth, he didn't really know all that much about the boy he claimed to hate so thoroughly. The stubborn, competitive nature of the two boys had always kept them from forming the bond most teammates had. It had even kept them from realizing how utterly similar they were.

Naruto continued through clenched teeth, "The only reason Kakashi-sensei left us was because you had to go and pick a fight with me! If you weren't always trying to prove you're so much better than me…"

"I _am_ better than you, dobe." Sasuke's eyes were cold. "The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be."

"You don't even know me!"

"I don't need to know you! You're all the same. The only reason you're so hell-bent on defeating me is so you can say you beat an Uchiha. I'm nothing but a reputation to you!"

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it again. There was no reason for him to continue arguing with Sasuke. Obviously, neither of them was ever going to admit defeat. He wasn't even sure what they were arguing about. First it was his fault, then it was Sasuke's, and then they were branching off into something else entirely. The blonde shook his head in confusion. He always talked about how much he wanted to kick Sasuke's ass, but in truth he'd like nothing more than to just make his peace with the boy and maybe become his friend. All this fighting was both fruitless and tiring. If it weren't for their mutual pride, they probably would have given it up a long time ago.

"It doesn't matter," Naruto muttered, his startling sapphire eyes staring straight down at his crossed legs. "We're stuck in this forest together until Kakashi-sensei decides to take pity on us and return. I'm not going to spend the next day, week, month, whatever, arguing with you over every breath." Sasuke's black eyes reflected mild surprise, as if he were amazed that Naruto could be so logical. In truth, Naruto was surprised as well. Something about the cool breeze, beautiful night sky, and gentle firelight playing over Sasuke's face was making him feel more relaxed than he could remember feeling in a long time.

"Agreed," was Sasuke's cool reply. The Uchiha boy brushed a lock of black hair from his face and gazed off into the surrounding woods. "This forest is full of nothing but identical, thick trees for miles and miles. If we try to get back on our own, we'll be lost by the end of our first step. Our only choice is to wait here and try not to kill each other in the meantime." Sasuke's gaze became hard as it redirected to Naruto, trapping him. "But don't think for a minute that I'm going to spend this time getting to know you. You're not my friend, dobe, and you never will be. I've never had anyone but myself, and it will stay that way for as long as I can help it."

"Why are you like this?" Naruto blurted out before he could think over his words. "Why do you have to be so angry all the time? Why can't you just act like a normal person, you robot!"

"This _is_ normal for me." Sasuke glared at him, unsettled by his questions even if he refused to show it. "It's none of your business."

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "You may choose to be miserable, teme, but don't hate the rest of the world for finding some joy in life. Not everyone can be a crotchety old man before they hit puberty, like you."

Sasuke deftly ignored his comment, though Naruto swore to himself he saw a blush sweep across the other boy's face, not quite faint enough to be disguised by the glow of the fire. Naruto grinned, deciding in a split second to pursue any edge he had on the boy. "Was that a blush, Sasuke? Did I make you nervous at the mention of puberty? I know you're a prude and all, but don't tell me the very _word_ makes you queasy."

This time, Sasuke's cheeks definitely filled with color. "What did you just say…?" The dark-haired boy's voice was deathly soft, his eyes still gazing off into the distance even as they become as hard as onyx stones. Naruto's grin widened, and he had to stop himself from cackling evilly. This was the second time in twenty-four hours he'd managed to get a rise out of the usually stoic Uchiha Sasuke. He must be on a roll. That, or being in such close quarters with the overly-dramatic Naruto was starting to have it's effect on the other shinobi.

"I guess it's not fair to call you a prude…" Naruto mused, seemingly to himself but loud enough for Sasuke to clearly hear. "I mean, it's obvious that you only pick on me so much because you have a crush on me. Even if you do love another boy, that still counts as having at least an ounce of libido somewhere in—" Naruto was unable to finish his sentence as a fist suddenly crashed into his face. Before he could even let out a startled gasp, Sasuke had him pinned in the most vicious headlock he'd ever felt before in his life.

Warm breath tickled Naruto's ear. "One of these days, that loose tongue of yours is going to get you into a dangerous place." Sasuke was growling, his voice a silky purr of malice in the air. Naruto shivered, though for a moment he couldn't tell if it was because of Sasuke's threat or because of the way his body was pressed to his teammate. It felt…strange. Like nothing he'd ever experienced before. But not…bad, exactly.

The blonde ninja could sense Sasuke smirking behind him. "Now who's blushing, dobe? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were the one with a crush on _me_. Falling in love at such a young age…how shameful."

Naruto gritted his teeth angrily. He couldn't believe he'd let Sasuke turn his advantage around on him like that. He twisted from the other boy's grasp, seething. "You know nothing about it, Sasuke! I could never fall in love with someone like you! I could never fall in love with _anyone_! There's no such thing!"

Sasuke blinked. He'd never heard Naruto speak with such venom in his voice. Such…coldness. For a moment, the Uchiha boy could see a little of himself in the other ninja. It intrigued him into doing something he would never think of doing normally.

He asked Naruto a question about his life.

"What are you saying, Naruto? You don't believe in love?" Sasuke himself was known for his stoicism and lack of regard for others, but even he believed it was possible to love another. Maybe not romantically, but every time he saw a family together and was filled with envy at the sight of such tenderness, he believed it was possible to love. He wished he'd had that kind of love growing up. Maybe he wouldn't have turned out the way he had….

"I know enough about life to know there's no such thing as love." Naruto turned away from Sasuke, obviously trying to end the conversation, but the other boy wouldn't let him off that easily.

The dark-haired ninja positioned himself in front of Naruto and crossed his arms, fixing the blonde in his inescapable dark gaze. "Explain."

Naruto glared at him. "I don't see why I should tell you anything, you bast—" In a flash, Naruto was back in a headlock, though this time Sasuke had his entire body pinned to the ground. The shivers were back, along with that pleasantly unpleasant feeling that he got in his stomach when Sasuke touched him. Naruto growled, angered by his own confused feelings. "Alright, teme, I'll tell you." Anything to get Sasuke off him.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, making Naruto's heartbeat triple, then slowly climbed off the blonde before situating himself back in his spot across the campfire. Sasuke folded his hands in front of his mouth, one arm resting on both knees, and watched Naruto. The blonde shinobi picked himself up from the ground and sat cross-legged, brushing dirt from his clothes.

"I grew up without any parents, you know," Naruto began, somewhat awkwardly, as if he expected Sasuke to tell him to stop complaining. "Everyone in my village hated me. I never let it show, but it bothered me a lot that these people were so mean to me when they could turn around and love their own kids five seconds later. I didn't understand what it was that made them love their kids and not me. How was I different? Why couldn't they all just accept me?"

Naruto stopped for a moment, chewing his bottom lip and looking lost in thought. Sasuke observed him quietly. _Naruto is probably remembering something painful from his past. _The dark-haired boy felt a spark of empathy for his teammate. He knew what it was to lose your family and feel alone.

Naruto continued. "As I grew older, I got even more confused when other kids started having boyfriends and girlfriends. When you're that young, there's really no such thing as 'dating'. You end up asking out some girl who talked to you in class, or a boy who happened to lend you a pencil. It's not really love, it's just infatuation with anyone who seems to treat you special."

Sasuke nodded minutely. He definitely knew what Naruto meant this time. All the squealing girls in class who claimed to be in love when they didn't even know who he was…. The ones who melted every time he threw a glance their way…. They made him sick.

The blonde scratched his head, blushing slightly. "And then…when I got even older…the boys and girls in my class who were used to having dates started doing…other stuff." Sasuke perked up slightly. Was Naruto actually going to talk about…_that_? With _him_?

"Well, it just seemed so stupid!" Naruto blurted out, flushing slightly. "They barely even knew each other, yet they were claiming to be so deeply in love. Then a week later they wouldn't even be speaking to each other. It's the same way with the adults. It's like they've been poisoned to the point where nothing matters anymore except this foreign liquid in their veins, but just as easily they can find the cure and throw each other away. They grow so attached to people they don't even know, all because of this stupid 'love' thing, but there's no one out there who will love me."

Naruto jumped to his feet in agitation, pacing back and forth. Sasuke was worried for a moment that maybe the boy had lost his mind, but some of what he was saying made sense. Much as Sasuke treated the blonde like an idiot, ridiculed him, fought with him…he'd never been able to understand why everyone treated Naruto so harshly. The other boy was vibrant, playful, carefree, and courageous to the point of insanity. There were even times when Sasuke would catch himself admiring the beautiful blue color of Naruto's eyes, or the softness of his golden hair when his hand happened to brush across it during a sparring match. It just didn't make sense why everyone seemed to be bent on bringing him down….

_Including me… _Sasuke thought with a touch of bitterness. He hated to belong to the crowd, yet he had treated Naruto no differently than the others. Sasuke's thoughts were broken as Naruto continued.

"That's why I've come up with a theory." Naruto's sapphire eyes were so serious they looked like tossing waves in the ocean. "I thought about it and thought about it until it finally made sense. I found an answer to the question of why people can love and hate so easily. There simply is no such thing as love. What we have is 'habitual infatuation', as I like to call it. We find someone we like, we stay with them for a while, we decide they're compatible with us, we stay with them for a while longer, then we get married. Why? Because we've become comfortable. We know this person, and they know us. Change is scary, and familiarity is a soothing feeling. We mistake that familiarity, mixed with our infatuation and lust, for what we've come to refer to as 'love'."

Naruto's eyes held both resolve and pain in them, as if he'd held this inside for a long time and was now determined to let his venomous ideas loose onto another. "Parents love their children because they are with them from the day of their birth. They know their children, and they raise them in their image. Part of it is love for themselves. Lovers find someone who they can stand and stay with them until they feel obligated to move onto the next step. Even if they don't really feel in love, sometimes it just seems like the right thing to do: to devote yourself to another…"

Naruto stopped, obviously lost in thought, and began to talk in a low voice, as if to himself. "Love does not really exist. It's nothing more than infatuation that becomes habitual. People become a habit to us, something we have to deal with every day. If you can fit someone into your life without too much turmoil, their presence will become natural to you. Eventually, you'll think you've fallen in love."

Naruto lifted his eyes to Sasuke for the first time and smiled the saddest smile Sasuke had ever seen in his life.

"That's why I don't believe in love."

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

_Once again, I must thank all my beautiful reviewers for their comments. You guys are FAB-U-LOUS, and you keep me writing fanfiction instead of doing schoolwork, even when there's no profit in it for me. Yeah, that's devotion for you. Also, I must agree with what some of you commented on: it is amazing that Naruto can stay in character while spouting philosophical ideas about love. I'm also amazed at my ability to make several people lose their belief in it entirely OO. That was one by-product of my chapter that I didn't see coming… I guess it's a compliment. _

_Anyways, the yaoi begins in this chapter, so brace yourselves. _

_Disclaimer: This fic is, always and forever, dedicated to the magnificent Sora-chan, one of the best friends I've ever had, whom I shall love and cherish for the rest of my days. _

_Kishimoto-sensei is far more creative than I. He made it; I did not. I wish it could be otherwise, but…shit happens. _

**Habitual Infatuation .:. Chapter Three**

…

Sasuke blinked. He stared at Naruto silently, as if expecting the boy to laugh at any moment and tell him the whole thing was a joke. The Uchiha boy waited, scrutinizing his teammate's face, but the laughter never came. Naruto just sat there quietly in his place across the campfire, staring into the crackling flames with a look in his sapphire eyes that made Sasuke's heart feel strange. He just looked so…unreachable. In that moment, Naruto was stuck on an island so far off in the distance there was no point in even trying to call out to him.

Sasuke started as he realized one of his hands had risen of its own accord, reaching out to the other shinobi. _What do you think you're doing? _This thought made his hand snap instantly down again. He didn't have an answer. By no means was Sasuke an affectionate person, but never before had he felt so drawn to the blonde boy who was his teammate. Naruto just looked so alone. Sasuke was reminded sharply of himself, ever since he'd lost his only family. For the first time, Sasuke began to realize how similar the two boys were. No family, no friends, no world outside of what they had made for themselves…. This was the life they were both confined to.

Yet somehow, they had both fought on despite all the odds, though in entirely different ways. Sasuke had chosen to isolate himself from the world, to cut off all ties and emotions that might come back to haunt him later, as his love for his family had. He'd convinced himself that he didn't need comfort from others. He didn't need their pity. He built walls around himself so high and thick, he wasn't certain he could bring them down even if he someday chose to. Naruto, on the other hand, had never been anything but the epitome of sunshine. Always laughing, always playing, always hopeful that tomorrow would be the greatest day ever. Even when he was shunned again and again, that dopey grin never left his face.

Sasuke began to feel a subtle tug of guilt in his stomach. While he had turned away from every hand that reached for him, Naruto had spent most of his life looking for even a single person who would do the same for him: accept him and love him in the same way Sasuke refused to be loved. _How could I have been so selfish all this time? Naruto is seeking what I turn away from. I've even gone out of my way to discourage him. I've been blind…_

It was then that a plan began to form in Sasuke's mind. He couldn't say what brought it on, or what mysterious force kept him following it until he was too deep to dig himself out, but the blueprints drew themselves so quickly in his mind it seemed as if he were being led by a divine force. He would have to prove to Naruto that love existed. He would make that idiot believe in it—give him hope for the future—and maybe someday he would find someone who would love him for who he was. Sasuke struggled against a lump that formed in his throat at the thought of Naruto someday falling in love with a woman and maybe getting married. This was just a chance to help his teammate, he told himself as he forcibly swallowed the lump. Nothing more.

The rest of the night was spent in contemplative silence. Eventually, when neither could think of a reason to stay awake any longer, they banked the campfire and piled together sweet-smelling ferns that were soft enough to cushion the hard ground beneath them. Long after both boys had climbed into their makeshift beds and closed their eyes, they lay awake, thinking about entirely different yet strikingly similar things.

…

The dawn of a new day slid soundlessly over Sasuke's closed eyes, waking him instantly. He'd woken at dawn every day for such a long time, it was conditioned in him now. The rising sun was always the first thing in his thoughts, and with it the determination to succeed that such a symbol filled him with daily. He glanced over at Naruto's bed and noted with satisfaction that the Kyuubi was not only sound asleep, but snoring with a vengeance. _Perfect…_

Sasuke rose from his bed and moved from the camp with the stealth of a black jungle cat. He had a few hours before Naruto would awaken in which to set up the first part of his plan. They were both still young and driven by hormones, so love was closely linked to lust in their age group. In order for Sasuke to make Naruto believe in love, he would have to seduce the boy first. It had taken him a surprisingly short amount of time to get past his initial aversion to the thought. He'd heard other people say that two males together was considered wrong, but he'd never bought into the concept himself. That, and he simply didn't care. If two boys wanted to sleep together, it wasn't hurting anyone else. Naruto, much as he acted like an idiot, was attractive enough to satisfy any other qualms Sasuke might have had about the matter.

The dark-haired boy had needed only a few additional minutes to come to the conclusion that seducing Naruto would be easy. He'd sent many a fangirl to her knees with a mere glance, so he knew he was at least handsome enough. And while he had no experience with actual seduction, he figured his intelligence would help him pick up the basics in time to incorporate them into his plan.

After that…well, Sasuke wasn't quite certain what he would do after that. Sex was easy enough to make happen, but as for the transition between sex and love…he couldn't even begin to understand what that would entail. _Maybe it'll just happen naturally? _He supposed it was possible.

Either way, he was already too determined to back out of his plan now. He'd spent the whole night thinking it up, and he wasn't about to let his own precious thoughts go to waste. He'd even thought of the perfect location to begin his plan: a lake he'd found during their training. Naruto and Sakura had been sparring together at the time, and Sasuke had wandered off to find some water. He'd locked the location of the lake away in his memory in case it proved useful later.

Now, he couldn't think of a better use for it.

…

Naruto stirred lightly in his sleep, reaching out for a steaming bowl of ramen that only existed in his dreams. "Mmm, tasty," he murmured, unaware of what an adorable picture he would have presented if anyone else had been in the clearing with him. His hair was tussled to golden perfection, and his cheeks were flushed slightly from sleeping so close to the banked embers of the fire.

In his mind's eye, the bowl of ramen was dancing just out of his reach. If he could only sit up and grab it…. He lurched up suddenly, unable to stop the will of his mind from making his body act. Naturally, he found no ramen when he stretched out his sleep-heavy arms and could only blink blearily and wonder what had happened to his delicious meal. His eyes drifted around the campsite as he struggled to recall where he was. He yawned with casual remembrance. "Oh, right, Kakashi-sensei left Sasuke and me here, and…" Suddenly, he stopped. He looked around again, slightly panicked. "Where's…teme?"

He got to his feet unsteadily, still blinking sleep from bright azure eyes. He couldn't see his teammate anywhere in the immediate area. He growled furiously. "If that bastard left me out here all by myself…" Naruto took off at a dead sprint, though he had no idea where he was going. His usual lack of forethought had led him to believe it was a good idea to tear the forest apart looking for Sasuke when he had no idea where the boy had gone. Actually, this was exactly what Sasuke was hoping Naruto would do.

As the blonde began to loudly scramble his way through the forest, shouting obscenities as he went, Sasuke was not only warned that the boy had woken up but was also able to keep a perfect tab on his location. He took this opportunity to put the final part of his plan into action. He'd been waiting at the pond for hours now, figuring out exactly the right way to use this scene to seduce Naruto. With a confident smirk, he began stripping off his clothes, already thinking extremely evil thoughts as he gauged how long he had until the Kyuubi appeared.

Naruto was completely oblivious to all this, of course, and continued his mad crash through the forest. It was only through sheer blind luck that his rampage didn't lead him right past the place where Sasuke was waiting. But, as fate would have it, Naruto heard splashing water nearby and made a beeline straight for the lake, crashing haphazardly through the underbrush. "Sasuke, you stupid bastard, where have you…!" The blonde stopped short with his mouth hanging wide open.

There was Sasuke.

In the water.

Naked.

Naturally, this wasn't the first time Naruto had seen his teammate bathing or changing clothes, but this occasion was somehow different. Sasuke was standing under a low cliff edge where water from a river fell over in a shimmering cascade to pool in the lake below. The water tumbled around him like thousands of streaming diamonds, making his skin glow. His wet hair looked like pure ink against porcelain flesh, dotted with tiny star-like water droplets. His eyes were closed with his chin titled up to meet the light flow, and Naruto noticed that his face looked so peaceful he could have been asleep.

And then…a very bad thing happened. Naruto's eyes slid down to look at his teammate's body.

He shivered slightly as an unknown wave of feelings suddenly crashed through him. His cheeks flared up with heat, as did several other places in his body, and a tingling ran down the length of his spine. He'd never seen Sasuke look so beautiful before. His skin was as white and smooth as ivory, pulled taut across perfectly toned muscles. His arms flexed as he ran nimble fingers through his darker-than-dark hair, and Naruto was suddenly wondering what those fingers would feel like running through his own hair…over his body…

Naruto gasped and stumbled back, falling in a heap on the floor of the underbrush he'd just cleared. Thank God Sasuke hadn't seen him staring like that…. Why _was_ he staring like that? Naruto shifted uncomfortably, his pants suddenly feeling much too tight. His heart was pounding so fast he was sure Sasuke could hear it. Hell, he bet Kakashi-sensei could hear it, wherever he was. He squeezed his blue eyes tightly closed, whispering to himself, "Get a grip, Naruto. You have to calm down." Unfortunately, closing his eyes only served to bring a mental image of naked Sasuke straight to the forefront of his mind. Naruto let out a low moan, unable to stop himself, and froze as a voice suddenly called out, "Hey, dobe, what are you doing in the bushes?"

_Shit! He's seen me! _Naruto sprang to his feet, blushing furiously and scratching his head as he stepped out of the bushes.

"I tripped while I was looking for you," Naruto covered lamely, as his mouth split into a wide grin.

Sasuke's eyes roved quietly down Naruto's form for a moment, as if searching for some sign of a lie, but then he seemed to accept this explanation. The dark-haired boy turned away and continued bathing himself, calling over his shoulder, "Come get a bath. You haven't had one in days." Naruto let out a sigh of relief and began to strip off his clothes, thinking he'd managed to cover himself well. What he didn't see was the smirk Sasuke wore the second he turned away from the blonde. Everything was going exactly as he'd planned.

Sasuke could practically smell Naruto's arousal it was so obvious. The blonde was flustered easily, but not _that_ easily. His cheeks had been flushed with a delicious pink color that made Sasuke want to swoon. The way his blue eyes had darted uncertainly down the Uchiha boy's naked form…so innocent and yet clouded with lust…. If Sasuke hadn't been so in control of himself, he might have taken the Kyuubi right then and there on the ground. _Wait until the time is right, _he reminded himself, suddenly tempted to do just that. His quest to seduce Naruto had abruptly become more than just a desire to teach the boy a lesson. He was curious himself as to how soft that tan skin was, how sweet those full lips were, how strong those legs would feel as they wrapped around his waist….

Sasuke quickly halted his train of thought before it carried him off into a dangerous place. It wouldn't do to become aroused in a way even dense Naruto could see, or he might scare the tentative boy off. Sasuke bit his lower lip, keeping his face turned carefully away from the stripping Naruto on the shore so as to keep himself from getting anymore naughty ideas. He heard a splash behind him a moment later but kept his face carefully turned away. Naruto would have to come to him first before this would work.

Sasuke's dark eyes closed as he used his chakra to feel for the other boy. The waterfall was on the other side of the lake, so Naruto would have to swim the length of it to reach him. The Uchiha boy could feel Naruto moving closer, but he was going at a painfully slow speed, hesitant. Sasuke did not move except to continue bathing. He reminded himself again and again to have patience, but the anticipation in the air was nearly tangible. With every stroke Naruto took, Sasuke found it harder and harder to keep himself from shivering. It was shocking to him how quickly he had developed a physical attraction to the boy. It was as if his own determination to carry out his plan had also made him determined to enjoy himself in the process. Whatever had caused it, he knew he didn't want it to stop.

Sasuke's body quivered ever so slightly as Naruto finally reached the low rock shelf underneath the cascade. He pulled himself onto it in one swift motion and sent an uncertain look Sasuke's way. The boy hadn't looked at him once since they'd talked before, and Naruto began to wonder if he'd done something to piss him off. He turned slowly away from Sasuke and began running his fingers through his hair, pulling out twigs from the ferns he'd slept on the night before. The water was cool and pleasant, and before long he forgot completely about the other boy bathing with him.

That is…until he felt the hands on his skin.

Naruto let out a gasp as Sasuke was suddenly touching him, running his fingers through blonde locks. It felt even better than the Kyuubi had imagined moments before.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto whimpered, trying to hide the lust in his voice, "what are you doing?"

"What do you think, dobe?" Sasuke's voice was calm and composed. "I'm helping you clean this mess that you call hair. No way can you pull out all these twigs yourself."

"Oh." Naruto couldn't conceal the disappointment in his voice. Of course that's what the other boy was doing. He went back to enjoying the feel of Sasuke touching his scalp, oblivious to the smirk on the dark-haired boy's face.

_I've got him, _Sasuke thought confidently, giving Naruto's head a proper massage. The blonde was making all sorts of little moans and murmurs, enough to drive his teammate crazy with building need. Somehow, he managed to keep his hands and voice steady as he kept up a conversation with the boy, gradually moving to rub his shoulders. "You must have slept on the wrong side, Naruto. Your shoulder muscles feel knotted."

Naruto's eyes had drifted closed from Sasuke's relaxing touch, but at this they snapped open. "Really? They don't hurt or anything."

"If only you could feel what I'm feeling. Something is definitely different." Sasuke chuckled privately at the double meaning in his words. Something was different all right, and Naruto was going to be the one to fix that. Slender fingers slipped over the blonde's skin, massaging every muscle carefully. Naruto had gone back to making those soft noises. Sasuke found himself stepping closer to the boy without realizing it, reaching lower to access more skin. _Don't rush it, _Sasuke scolded himself, but it was getting too late. Desire burned between his legs, and his body wouldn't let him ignore it for much longer.

Naruto was having a similar battle with himself. God, why did Sasuke have to start touching his shoulders? His scalp was bad enough, but this was damn near maddening. Those fingers slid down his wet skin in ways he'd never thought possible, teasing his muscles with light touches that lit his flesh on fire. Before he could stop it, he started having very bad thoughts, even worse than what he'd had before. He shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably, wanting so badly to relieve this tension in his body but not knowing how. The thoughts he was having about Sasuke weren't helping in the slightest. A wave of guilt hit him as he imagined all sorts of things that he would never say aloud. He hated himself for thinking this way about his friend, but he just couldn't help himself.

The matter was only made even worse when Sasuke suddenly began to move closer to him. Naruto's breath, already quickened in time with his pounding heart, hitched in his throat. Sasuke was touching even more of him now, tormenting him to no end. The blonde was shocked to feel how eagerly his body reacted to the feel of skin on skin. _What do you think you're doing, idiot! _He screamed at himself as he realized he was leaning more into Sasuke's touch. This was bad. He needed to get out of here before he did something…

"Naruto…"

Time seemed to freeze. Naruto himself felt his body stiffen like a board. Sasuke had just…said his name. This was not an unusual occurrence, of course, but…the way he had said it…. For once, none of those carefully controlled emotions had been present in Sasuke's voice. For a moment, he wasn't Naruto's teammate, or heir to the Uchiha clan, or his rival…. He was something completely different.

The lake was suddenly much to small for the both of them. Before Sasuke could say another world, Naruto had taken off, diving into the water and swimming across in what must have been record time. He paused only for an instant as he gathered his clothes and disappeared into the underbrush.

Sasuke watched him go, shocked slightly from the abruptness of it. Both his body and his mind cursed him for the loss of the delectable little blonde. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath. "I told you not to lose control…"

To be continued…

_Woo-hoo! Yay for a good cocktease! Sorry about the lack of actual smex, but we have to build the story into it. Patience, my friends, it will come soon enough. Well, assuming that I get enough reviews to keep me satisfied. Ja mata, minna-sama!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Gah! I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in forever, y'all. I had school to worry about and the finishing of my other two long-running stories before I could concentrate on this. Those are finally out of the way, though, so you can expect updates to be more regular. Thanks for all the awesome reviews, and I'm glad you liked the last chapter even if it was such a tease. Hopefully you will all like this one just as much and douse me in reviews. _

_Disclaimer: Sora-chan, you rock my world; this one's for you, dear. Many blessings to you and your darling Tsumi . _

_Kishimoto-sensei is far more creative than I. He made it; I did not. I wish it could be otherwise, but…shit happens. _

**Habitual Infatuation .:. Chapter Four**

…

"Sasuke is out of his fucking mind," Naruto muttered to himself, shivering as one of the last cool breezes of morning hit his wet body head on. The air was heating up quickly enough now that the sun had risen, but it wasn't quick enough for Naruto. Leaving that lake so abruptly hadn't given him a chance to dry properly, and he was freezing as a result. In contrast, there were certain parts of his body that remained uncomfortably hot…

"Stupid teme, where does he get off pulling a stunt like that?" The little blond was seething at the trees around him, since there was no one else nearby to hear his rant. He marched purposefully through the forest in the direction of the campsite he shared with the other boy, forgetting in his haste that he possessed ninja speed and could reach the site in a matter of minutes if he so chose. Instead, he walked at the brisk pace of an average disturbed adolescent, which in turn gave him time to mull over the morning's past events.

"What…was that?" he asked himself softly as his anger began to fade away, replaced by a flood of confusion. Of all the things he'd come to expect from Sasuke after training with him for so long, _that_ was not one of them. Naruto couldn't even put _that_ into words. His understanding of the event was nothing more than a tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach, just below the Kyuubi seal that marked him in a black swirl. This feeling, much as it unsettled him, was not one that he could expressly label as 'bad'.

At the same time, he couldn't exactly call it good due to the waves of confusion it brought along with it. Naruto didn't like being confused like this, and on top of that he had an unmistakable feeling of…_frustration_. The way Sasuke had touched him…the sound of his name pouring from between those sculpted lips like smoldering embers…how beautiful the other boy looked with water glistening on his skin like diamonds…. Naruto could barely stand it.

"Why?" That was all he asked himself, unable to think of more to add to the sentence. He simply wanted to know why.

With a small sigh, he spotted the familiar ring of trees that surrounded the clearing in which he'd slept last night with the very object of his puzzlement. Naruto had been so caught up in his thoughts he'd paid no heed to the ground beneath him. The time for thinking was over with; now that he was back at camp he'd have to work on stocking up firewood for the campfire, finding some food, preparing his bed for the night, and maybe packing some training into the day before the sun inevitably fell again.

Naruto pushed aside a stray tree limb as he stepped into the campsite, his brain already mapping out the quickest way to complete his list of tasks so he could find time for training. He was so distracted, he barely noticed the pure black eyes that locked onto him the second he broke through the foliage. Their gaze was so intense, however, even the dense Kyuubi could not ignore them.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked before he could stop himself, his cheeks filling with color. "How the hell did you get here before me?" The other boy stared at him through a veil of damp black bangs. His usually meticulous appearance was just slightly ruffled, somehow making him even sexier than before.

"I'm a ninja; I used a jutsu," was his calm response, those glittering black eyes never leaving Naruto for a moment.

The blond boy felt heat rush to his face in a flood. "Oh. Right." He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, unable to think of something more to say. The last thing he wanted right now was to be confronted with the person who moments before had made such alien feelings well up within him—was still making those feelings well up as the intensity of Sasuke's presence filled the air between them with electric sparks. Naruto was almost tempted to take a step back.

Before he could consider moving, Sasuke was on his feet and doing the moving for him. Naruto watched with anxious anticipation as the boy strode fluidly forward, slow and steady, until he was standing right before the blond. Naruto's breath caught in his throat as Sasuke's closeness reminded him of the closeness they'd shared just minutes ago; he felt it stirring low in his stomach yet again.

Sasuke's dark eyes ran once down the length of his body and back up again, settling on spheres of startling sapphire without so much as hinting at what thoughts lay behind the fierce gaze. The dark-haired boy seemed to be regarding him as one would regard a piece of famous artwork, never touching for fear of tainting but using the eyes as tools for scrutiny.

"Help me gather firewood." The words were spoken so plainly and calmly, Naruto almost failed to register them. He certainly hadn't expected that from Sasuke, or even that the other boy would speak at all. Some part of him had suspected they would remain in this impasse for all eternity, neither moving towards or away from the other for fear of breaking the spell created between their near bodies.

Sasuke ended the engagement by turning sharply to the right and trotting off into the forest, in search of the previously mentioned firewood. Naruto, in his daze, followed instinctively after him. They didn't have far to go to find wood, seeing as they were in the center of a dense forest. They found plentiful dried limbs scattered about on the ground, the remnants of a recent storm no doubt. The trick was finding them all the right length and density to make for a good fire. The two boys joined together in forming two piles out of the scattered wood, one for rejects and one for accepted branches. A stiff silence fell between them as they worked, interrupted only by the scraping of bark and shuffling of Naruto's feet. Sasuke made not a sound as he flitted this way and that like a forest elf.

_He really is too perfect, _Naruto couldn't help but think as he snuck a glance at the other boy over his shoulder. Sasuke moved with grace and majesty, combined with masculine strength that allowed him to move thick branches that normal boys his age would scarcely be able to nudge. All at once, the black-haired shinobi glanced up and caught Naruto watching him. The blond blushed and looked quickly away, suddenly fascinated by the different ridges in the bark of the log he carried. If he had kept watching, he would have seen the sly smirk that came over Sasuke's face the instant the boy realized he was being watched.

_It seems the dobe's more interested than ever, _Sasuke thought._ He wants to understand what happened back at the waterfall. _Sasuke never doubted that he could win Naruto back no matter how badly he might have scared him by losing control before, but it was pleasing to see he wouldn't need to. Naruto was disturbed, but not frightened. This would make Sasuke's goal that much easier to obtain. His mind quickly started searching for a way to take their current situation and bend it to his purpose.

Naruto, oblivious to the plotting going on in the other boy's mind, was still gathering wood. After being caught watching Sasuke, he'd buried himself in his work, determined to forget the black-haired beauty's presence. He did his job so well, he jumped three feet in the air when the heavy silence was finally broken.

"Naruto, I have a question for you," Sasuke said, pausing to look over at him.

Naruto spent a moment gulping air into his lungs to calm the beating of his heart. "Teme…what the hell do you have to ask me?" The question came out harsher than he'd intended due to his surprise, but Sasuke seemed not to notice.

"What do you want out of life, dobe?"

Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sasuke dropped the log he'd been carrying and leaned against a tree, fixing Naruto in his blacker-than-black gaze. "I mean, I've heard what you've said about love and friendship, and it seems fairly hopeless. If you're not looking for a lover or any lasting companionship, what do you want to do with yourself?" Sasuke chuckled inwardly, pleased with his plan. He would get Naruto talking and then turn the conversation in the direction he wanted.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. The question was innocent enough, but the smoldering look in Sasuke's eyes made him wonder if perhaps something more was going on here than he realized. Ignoring the unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach, he answered, "My goal is to become the next Hokage! You already know that, teme."

Sasuke waved a hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, we all know your less-than-attainable dream, but that doesn't explain what you want out of life. Surely power is not your only desire?"

Naruto chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully. He'd never really considered it that way before. The way Sasuke said it made him sound like a selfish, power-hungry tyrant. He didn't think he was as superficial as that, but he couldn't think of anything else he wanted. It would be nice to be married someday, or to have lots of friends, but he just couldn't see that ever happening. Why hope for what could never be?

"I don't know." It was the only response he could think of.

"Are you trying to suggest," Sasuke said as he leaned forward, away from the tree his body was propped on, "that you never want to be married? You never want to go on a date or hold hands with someone just because you can?"

Naruto shifted from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable again. Somehow, he got the impression Sasuke had led him through this conversation like a dog on a leash. Stiffly, he replied, "I don't really care. Maybe I don't need all those stupid things to be happy."

"What about sex?"

Naruto was so shocked to hear this question, he almost wondered if he'd imagined it. "What?"

"You heard me." Sasuke pulled himself out of his leaning position and took a step away from the tree, towards Naruto. "Aren't you curious about sex?"

"N-Not really," Naruto stammered, his face turning a lovely shade of beet red. He couldn't believe Sasuke was saying these things. When he'd teased the black-haired boy about being a prude, he'd only been half-joking. Sasuke was the last person on the face of the planet he'd ever expected to see a drop of perversion out of.

"I think you're lying," Sasuke replied, his voice a silken purr even as it dripped with challenge. "You're a teenage boy; you must have thought about it before, wondered what it's like." He was stepping closer to Naruto again, closing the space between them with aching slowness. The blond swallowed hard, suddenly feeling every inch of distance like a needle in his stomach. He wanted Sasuke to come closer and ease the pain, but every needle that was pulled out left a tiny, bleeding hole. He couldn't be certain what he wanted.

It hardly seemed to matter, however, since Sasuke was coming closer whether Naruto wanted it or not. He had the blond exactly where he wanted him, and this time there would be no escape.

"Naruto," Sasuke repeated, watching as the other ninja shivered in response to hearing his name said with such sensuality, "I don't think you realize what you're missing. Sex is a whole new kind of sparring that our sensei never taught us about. Two bodies moving in tandem, pressed together, sharing sweat and heat and pleasure…." He was standing inches from Naruto now, listening to his ragged breathing and watching the blush creep across his face.

A slight smile played across his lips as he made his voice low and tantalizing. "It's a beautiful and terrible thing. It's the ability to make another person scream until their throat is raw. It's touching and tasting and writhing because what else can you do in the throes of such tremendous pleasure? Your body will ache with need, beg for more, shiver and shake so violently. Your breath will catch in your throat before breaking into moans and gasps. Churning muscles, dripping sweat, and clenching fists will mean more to you than all the power in the world. And then, when it finally becomes too much, there will be only oblivion waiting for you over the edge of unimaginable ecstasy."

Naruto tried to hide the trembling in his legs, but he lacked the strength. Sasuke's words were sending him into a stupor unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It didn't help that the boy's strong body was so close he could feel his body heat. The way Sasuke had lowered his voice to a husky murmur…it filled Naruto's head with all sorts of images, most of which involved his body moving with Sasuke's in the way he had described. A wave of guilt hit Naruto fast and hard, but along with it came a wave of arousal. He couldn't stand having Sasuke so close and not touching him. He might not have been curious about sex before, but he surely was now. If Sasuke could do so much to him just by talking…what else could he do?

_Stop it! _Naruto's conscience screamed at him. _He's your teammate and one of your biggest rivals! Tell the hormones to go to hell! _The hormones immediately shouted back, _You go to hell! _Naruto hung in limbo as a battle raged within him. He wanted so much to be touched right now, but he couldn't stand the thought of using his teammate just to satisfy his hunger. It wasn't right. Sasuke probably wasn't even aware of what he was doing to the blond…

Or so Naruto thought. Then Sasuke did one very bad thing.

He leaned forward to whisper in Naruto's ear, closing the final distance between their bodies. "I'll ask you again, Naruto: what do you _want_?" It was all the other boy could do to keep his knees from buckling beneath him. Sasuke wasn't exactly pinning him, but his body was placed in such a way that Naruto could not move in any direction without pressing directly against the black-haired boy. He wanted so many things right now he couldn't even think through them. Most of all, he wanted Sasuke to pick one of the trees around them and press him hard against it; he wanted him to crush their bodies together and show him all the things he'd said before.

"Sasuke…I…" Naruto struggled to put his desire into words, but he just couldn't. It was unthinkable, these things that he wanted to tell Sasuke to do. How could he suggest anything of the sort? Naruto mewled softly, too frustrated to form actual words anymore.

Sasuke could see it in his eyes: the mad, uncontrollable arousal. The only reason Naruto hadn't jumped him by now was because he didn't know what to do. He was too ignorant about sex to understand how to get what he wanted. Sasuke knew all he had to do was lean forward and capture the other boy's soft rose petal lips and he would be his. They would tangle themselves together on the forest floor and not stop until they'd both been satiated. All he had to do was take what was being offered….

Out of a dark corner of his mind, a thought rose up to Sasuke. He hadn't been patient before, and it had driven Naruto away from him. He couldn't afford to make the same mistake twice. Naruto was confused right now and acting on instinct, but if that instinct wore off halfway through everything Sasuke wanted to do to him, the black-haired boy would be out of luck. He couldn't go through with this until it was the exact perfect time. Much as he wanted nothing more than to lick every inch of that lean, tan body before him, he had to keep his objective in mind: make Naruto fall in love, not lust.

A smirk played across his lips as he had an extremely evil thought. On top of waiting for the right time, he could give Naruto a taste of his own medicine. The blond would learn what it was like to be taken to the point of total arousal only to be left alone. Sasuke was not much for masturbation, but the scene back at the waterfall had left him with a very hot and uncomfortable problem that could only be solved one way. Now Naruto would know what it was like to be left high and dry.

With that same evil smirk still set beautifully on his face, Sasuke pulled away from Naruto. "Well, if you ever figure out the answer to my question, dobe, be sure to tell me." He could hear Naruto's whimpers of protest as he turned and walked away. Over his shoulder, Sasuke called, "I'm tired. Be a friend and finish gathering the firewood. I'll see you back at camp."

To himself, he thought with a blissful smile, _Naruto's right about me: I really am a bastard. _

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

_Woo-hoo, it didn't take me half as long to update this time around. And it'll be getting even better once Winter Break sets in. Thanks to everyone who was patient with the last chapter and left me a review. I really appreciate it. The rest of you need to get on it and keep me motivated. It's a proven fact that I only update when I have hoards of fans screaming in my ear . Hop to, my darlings. _

_Warning: That 'M' rating is seriously coming into play in this chapter. I was just dancing around with it before, but now we've reached dark water. Don't read if you're too young or just too whiny. _

_Disclaimer: I dedicate this chapter, and this entire story, to the lovely, bodacious, enchanting, and yaoi-licious Sora-chan, who gave me many an idea for the this fic's plot while we were hashing it out together. Much love, babe. _

_I claim no ownership to Naruto, though I like to think that a little bit of the heart of yaoi belongs to all who enjoy it. _

**Habitual Infatuation .::. Chapter Five**

…

The growl that escaped from low in Sasuke's throat as he plunged into the icy water was more feral than anything he'd ever heard from himself before. Even in the heat of battle, he couldn't say he'd ever made a sound so purely animalistic in nature. Down his head went, beneath the line where air met water and into a world of crystalline blue. He kept his eyes shut tight for a minute, watching the dancing colors and half-formed shapes that appeared behind his eyelids. He couldn't say if the world beneath the water was truly as quiet as it seemed; everything moved too fast for him to tell. The icy droplets clinging to him in this moment were not the same as what would coat his skin in the next. Never the same.

Slowly, he surfaced, contrasting the ferocity with which he had thrown himself initially into the trickle of a stream. It was just deep enough to allow him to dunk his entire body, and just wide enough that he could wade out to his neck before it started growing shallow again. He wouldn't have bothered with this uncomfortable excuse for a body of water if he hadn't been in such desperate need. Another minute…and even he couldn't say what would have happened.

It had been a week since the waterfall incident had first awakened the feelings between Sasuke and his partner. Seven agonizing days had passed where Sasuke spent every moment wondering if this would be _the_ moment. Every gaze that fell between the two shinobi seemed like the gaze of lovers about to bury themselves in each other. Every slight touch was a prelude to heavy caresses that were to come. Every tense silence where it became painfully clear just how alone they were, detached from anyone that could possibly interrupt them, was more than Sasuke could bear.

And yet all of it led to nothing.

Sasuke was still waiting for that one perfect moment in a sea of moments that were…_almost_ perfect. Naruto was still dancing just out of his grasp, too much of a boy to embrace becoming a man when the goal was inches from him. He had an innocence to him that couldn't quite be ignored, even as Sasuke stared at his lithe form with purely lustful intentions. The Kyuubi knew everything that an average adolescent was supposed to know about sex, anatomy, and human relations, but none of that seemed to register in those startling sapphire eyes of his. It was impossible to gaze into them and not think of childhood meanderings under crisp autumn skies. His gaze spoke of old memories and people long lost down scattered trails, but always loved and cherished. His eyes were wells into everything Sasuke had dreamed about as a child.

And that was what stayed the older shinobi's hand. In the moments when the strain between the two boys grew taut and all Sasuke had to do was reach out to finally sweep Naruto into his arms…that was what stopped him. Naruto had something so few people ever experienced, and if they did it wasn't for long. Sasuke wanted to teach Naruto what it was to love. He wanted to forge a bond between their bodies that would help him reach that goal. But he didn't want to do this with someone who wasn't Naruto. Much as the other ninja annoyed him at times, exasperated him, embarrassed him…he was always just Naruto. He was nothing like the village girls who liked to comb their hair exactly one thousand times to make it shine or lift their skirts just slightly as he passed. Naruto never batted his eyelashes at him as if it didn't make him look like a gawking parrot. Naruto never added some stupid honorific to the end of his name, as if Sasuke would be honored by it. Naruto was just Naruto, and the thought of losing that was something Sasuke didn't like at all.

So, he held off on his plan. He ignored the fire burning low in his belly and forced his knees not to quiver when his partner turned the full force of those shimmering eyes on him. When the burning grew too hot for even his self-control to contain, he found an icy river like this one and doused the flames in it. He would keep himself under control, no matter what he had to do.

Unfortunately, this time around, it seemed the river simply wasn't enough. He held his freezing body in it for as long as he could stand, but the edge of lust between his legs just wouldn't seem to fade. Something very bad had happened a moment ago that pushed Sasuke's control to the limit.

They had been making camp, as they did every morning: stoking the embers that remained in their fire, brushing out the bed of sweet ferns that they slept on, scrounging around for whatever food the forest could provide…and Naruto had tripped. Granted, this was not an unusual occurrence; Naruto had a knack for diving headfirst over even the slightest depression in the ground. But this time, a stray log had sent him flying directly into Sasuke. Both boys had hit the ground hard and rolled until Sasuke's larger body held Naruto pinned.

Both shinobi froze, not daring to breathe while their mouths rested so close to each other. Sasuke could feel every individual muscle in Naruto's abdomen, and Naruto could do the same. Their body heat seeped together into a pool between them, bringing flushed color to their cheeks that spoke of their silent desire. Sasuke tried to shift slightly away, but that only made the length of his body rub against the other boy's with a most delicious kind of friction. _Breathe,_ Sasuke whispered mentally, trying to control the sparks igniting in his groin. If he couldn't control himself soon, Naruto would not be able to miss the arousal pressing against him. Sasuke could lie to himself all he like, but his body would never keep up the façade.

Sasuke had stayed perfectly still, breathing deeply while trying to keep Naruto from realizing what he was doing. Naruto looked like a deer in the headlights beneath him, his cheeks flushed such a lovely shade of soft pink Sasuke wanted to feather kisses all over them. Then…Naruto started squirming.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as that pliant body under him wriggled around in such a tantalizing way. It was maddening, and it threatened to tear his self-control from him. Before he even realized the words had left his mouth, he heard himself ask, "Naruto, what are you doing?" The black-haired boy froze, waiting for whatever answer Naruto could offer. The blush in the blond boy's cheeks seemed to double, and his eyes widened with innocence. Eventually, a whispered answer left his mouth, almost too soft for Sasuke to hear. "I was just wondering why it felt this way…to move against you."

Sasuke's shock was almost tangible, and another question popped from his mouth before he could stop it, "What does it feel like?" Naruto seemed to consider his question, somehow managing to look oblivious even while pressed sensually to another person. After an eternity, he answered, "It just feels so…good."

Snap.

Those words were all it took to snap Sasuke from his stupor. He needed to get away from this before he did something he'd regret. Now was not the time, and if Naruto kept talking like that—so low and breathily, caressing the air between them—Sasuke wouldn't be able to stop himself.

He'd bolted. He'd gotten away from Naruto so fast, he doubted the other boy had seen him leave at all. Off he sped into the woods until he came to the stream he now shivered in. He'd thought this would be able to douse the passion in him, as it had before, but it seemed this time it was too much. He would need something more than cold water to free himself from him lust. He would need relief.

Sasuke tugged his quaking body out of the water's frigid embrace, towing himself to the shore and quickly stripping off his clothes. A grimace slipped across his face as the clothing he pulled from his soaked body brushed against the hardness between his legs, the arousal he could no longer control. He laid the material out on a patch of sunny grass and collapsed next to it, panting slightly from the effort of containing himself.

Immediately, his right hand slipped between his legs and teased at the tender flesh of his inner thigh. He wanted to get this over with, but he had to wait until his hands warmed up or this would be needlessly unpleasant. The tips of his fingers skimmed over little curls of pubic hair and along the junction of his torso and thighs, following the natural lines on his body. Gently they sloped up to cup his length, feeling it stiffen immediately in response to the touch. A soft sigh escape from Sasuke's lips as his fingers curled around him, smooth and firm. His ebony eyes fluttered closed, and an image of Naruto rose up from his mind to coax him deeper into the pleasure. It was from the waterfall, of course. Naruto's tan skin was glowing with drops of water, and Sasuke could see every sensuous curve and line of his body. The mental picture made the fires in him flare dangerously up.

"Ahhh," Sasuke breathed quietly, unable to contain himself as his imagination played with his memory of Naruto in the same way his fingers played with the heated flesh between his legs. In his mind, it was Naruto's hand fisted around him, bringing moans from Sasuke's lips with every pump up and down his length. The black-haired boy felt his flesh engorge with blood as his fantasy grew increasingly more heated. Naruto was kissing his neck now, those rosy lips just barely brushing over his skin even as the blond's fingers roughly coaxed more pleasure out of his length. Sasuke's back arched into the touch, forcing more of himself into Naruto's skilled hands. Where had the boy learned to touch like that…?

"Nngh," Sasuke moaned, biting his lip hard to suppress even louder sounds. Naruto was breathing hard in his ear, the blond's soft breath tickling along his jaw as he whispered all manner of naughty things. A black head fell back hard against the ground as Sasuke immersed himself further into his fantasy, his hand working furiously between his legs now. "So…good…" he muttered to himself, though in his mind he was murmuring the words against Naruto's chest as his tongue outlined the boy's supple nipples. The Kyuubi moaned along with him, writhing in his grasp in a way that told Sasuke the other boy was as close to the edge as he was.

"Ah, Naruto…don't stop," Sasuke groaned through gritted teeth, both hating and loving the pressure building within him. He wanted relief so badly, but he hated to think that he could ever stop feeling so good. He knew it was just a dream in his mind, but something about the way Naruto made him feel seemed so deliciously real.

Building and building, the coiled pleasure grew within him. It would overflow. It would crash down on him in waves that would tear him to pieces. Just a little more, just a little harder, faster, just another second….

With an unrestrained moan, Sasuke felt his insides twist and the coil within him finally spring free. He tried to hold back the word that wanted to burst from his throat, but he couldn't. His threw his head back and cried with abandon, "AHH, NARUTO!" Sticky warmth coated his fingers and abdomen in a matter of seconds, but he was nearly lost to the sensation. Hazy warmth sent his head reeling in crescendos of pleasure. His fingers worked down the length of his softening arousal, milking every last drop of pleasure from it. He was satisfied, more satisfied than he had felt in a long time, for now at least. Now that he had had a taste, Sasuke had no doubt that his need would return in time, and it would be twice as ferocious.

The black-haired boy let his muscles relax one by one from the rigid position they had taken during release. Slowly, slowly, his heartbeat returned to its normal, healthy pace, and his breathing grew less ragged. He could still feel the shadow of pleasure hovering over his spent, sweaty form, and he knew it would linger for quite some time. For now, he was content to lay in the warm grass and wait for his clothes to dry.

Or so he would have been if he had not heard one small noise. A crack of a twig, a rustle of leaves, or some other normal forest sound that he would have normally dismissed. This time, however, he opened his eyes and glanced in the direction of the noise, guided by an unseen force. What he saw made his blood run as icy cold in his veins as the river trickling at his feet.

Naruto.

Naruto was standing maybe twenty paces away, holding a branch out of his face as if he had just come striding through the trees and had stopped mid-step. He looked frozen, frightened, and above all else embarrassed. And he was staring directly at Sasuke.

The older boy could not move, no matter how his head screamed at his muscles to obey. Naruto had seen everything, this much Sasuke knew. It was evident in the look on that tan face. He had heard everything as well, and now those gorgeous blue eyes were darting over the white liquid that dotted Sasuke's stomach, congealed into milky streaks.

"Fuck," Sasuke whispered to himself, unable to think of anything more productive to say. Why had he moaned Naruto's name? Why hadn't he considered the possibility that the other ninja would come looking for him after he'd darted so hastily away? Why hadn't he been more cautious?

The lust had stolen his common sense from him.

Naruto's mouth opened slightly, as if the boy was about to say something. Sasuke waited tensely, wondering if he would be screamed at for his perversion. Instead of a lecture, he received only the firm closing of Naruto's mouth before the other boy turned on his heel and bolted from the clearing as quickly as he could without smacking into a tree. Sasuke watched him go, feeling as if a lead weight had been dropped into his stomach.

His chances of teaching Naruto love were all but ruined now.

To be continued….


	6. Chapter 6

_Bwa ha ha, time for another installment of the torture that is SasuNaru. If we didn't love it so much, we'd surely hate it for what it puts us through. Now everyone can finally know what happens to our favorite twosome after Naruto catches Sasuke having his solo fun. Enjoy, everyone, and be sure to review._

_Dedicated to my darling Sora-chan. May her wings be every full of the warmest breezes, spread toward the sun, and carrying her far over the thorns laid beneath the feet of us all. _

_Disclaimer: I own it not; sadly, this is true._

**Habitual Infatuation .::. Chapter Six**

_Oh God, _Sasuke thought. _Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. _He wasn't even religious, and that was all he could think. He felt a sharp pain in his cheeks and numbly realized that his fingernails were digging trenches into them. It was like they were trying to rip the blush right off of his heated flesh. Naruto had seen him. Naruto had _heard _him. Not to mention that he had heard himself. He'd been masturbating to the thought of another boy. It was odd that he'd spent all this time trying to make Naruto want him, but in the end he was the one caught in the act of wanting.

He flinched at the word 'end' as it resonated through his thoughts. This couldn't be the end. He needed to make this right, and he needed to make it right _now. _They couldn't stay in this forest forever, and as soon as Kakashi came back for them, there was no telling what Naruto would do.

Sasuke jumped to his feet, charged up and ready to chase after the golden-haired boy. He knew he had to catch him; what he didn't know was what he would do after that.

…

Naruto couldn't breathe. There was no air anywhere in the vicinity of his lungs, he would swear it by any gods you put in front of him. He wheezed, feeling the painful tug of his lungs pulling at emptiness. His heart was pounding so furiously, he thought it would physically pull him back and forth, back and forth.

What had he just seen?

Naruto couldn't even make sense of the scene that had played out before him as if lived by a different person. He was merely a member of some demented audience, watching from afar while the plot unfolded. He'd been so confused after Sasuke fell on top of him. Every inch of his body that had come into contact with Sasuke had tingled, had felt positively electric. It felt _good. _But Naruto wasn't really sure what the feeling was. He couldn't place a label on it like he could with all his other emotions. And then Sasuke's blacker-than-black eyes had been staring at him, watching his face from scant inches away, and the feeling had increased. Their mouths were so close, and that meant something to Naruto, but he just couldn't figure out what.

Sasuke's voice had penetrated through him, burning questions into his flesh and adding to his confusion. What was he doing? Why was he doing it? And most of all, why did it feel so right?

In a flash, Sasuke was gone, but the tingling he'd aroused in Naruto's body had stayed. The blonde didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted answers, and there was no one who could provide them but Sasuke. So he did the only thing he could think of: he chased after him.

Except Naruto didn't find what he had expected. He'd thought maybe Sasuke was angry with him for being so presumptuous, for thinking it was okay to touch him so freely. He'd thought he'd find the dark ninja fuming, radiant in his fury and pacing like a caged tiger. Instead, he's found something much more surprising but every bit as beautiful.

Sasuke, lying in a heap of ivory limbs, toned to perfection, writhing and making sounds too erotic for words. Naruto had frozen in mid-step when his eyes first fell upon this sight. The water beading on the other boy's fair skin reflected like diamonds embedded in a porcelain figurine. The expression on Sasuke's face as his hand worked so delicately between his legs was more exquisite than any artist could ever capture in hard marble, yet that was what the boy resembled. He was a perfect living embodiment of the sensual arts.

Naruto had been shocked, not by what Sasuke was doing, but by his body's reaction to it. A flame leapt up in his groin that nearly brought a moan to his lips all on its own. It was finally dawning on him the full power of Sasuke's erotica. The boy was sex incarnate, a walking wet dream, a vision of what every human would be crazy not to lust after. Smoldering eyes, flawless skin, soft glossy hair, and a powerful mind and personality that could not be ignored. Yet Naruto had done exactly that, ignored what was right in front of his eyes for such a very long time.

And then that angelic voice had called out, in the most seraphic tones Naruto had ever heard. It had taken him a moment to register the words, or rather word mixed in with moaning of the most savory variety. That word…that word was familiar to him. His mind processed the information while his eyes drank in the sight of Sasuke's orgasm: tightening muscles, beaded sweat mixing with glistening water, the expression of utter and exquisite delight on that gorgeous face.

He froze.

It was his name.

Sasuke…had called out his name.

Black eyes snapped open and looked at him. A curse sliced through the air, and Naruto vaguely realized that Sasuke had seen him.

…He fled.

What else was there to do?

He couldn't stand the feel of those magnetic eyes on him, knowing what he knew. Sasuke had been thinking about him. He was the one who had brought that look of ecstasy to the beautiful boy's face.

And somehow, though he dared not acknowledge it, Naruto understood that this made him blissfully happy. He knew there would be repercussions. He knew nothing would ever be the same again. But Sasuke had been thinking about him, and that was all the blonde cared about at the moment.

He held a hand hard over his chest, trying vainly to calm the beating of his heart. That hand wanted to slip between his legs and mirror what he'd seen Sasuke doing just a moment before. It was already halfway there when Naruto heard a rustle behind him. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the last thing he'd expected.

Sasuke had chased after him.

…Without his clothes.

Naruto's cheeks flamed up immediately at the sight: Sasuke was still dripping wet, still naked, still smeared with creamy fluid along his abdomen from the release he'd enjoyed moments before. His cheeks were flushed like he'd been running, and his breathing came in low growls every bit as erotic as the moans from earlier. Apparently, he'd been in such a rush to chase after the Kyuubi, he'd forgotten any number of insignificant little details, like clothing and cleaning up his own release.

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed, sending nerves dancing in the blonde's groin. The sound of his name pouring from the other boy's pale lips sent him back to minutes before when he'd heard Sasuke cry his name with the abandon of climax. He shivered hard, fighting off the mental images that flooded his eyes long enough for him to think. He wanted to do something, but he couldn't figure out what. This was more than just a delicate situation; this had the potential to explode and ruin not only a good friendship but their chances of becoming elite ninja. This was everything.

Even as Naruto realized how badly things could go, he also realized that he didn't care. Sasuke was the most beautiful creature he'd ever encountered, and now that his body had realized that, it could not be quieted. Naruto turned around to face Sasuke and blushed as he felt the other boy's eyes roving over him. He supposed his arousal was visible and unexpected from the look on Sasuke's face. Naruto didn't care. He wanted this, and he wanted it now.

"Sasuke," Naruto replied in a voice made rough with growing lust. Dark eyes widened with surprise as they met icy blue and saw the first sparks of lust there. Naruto took another step, and another, closing the distance between himself and something he still didn't fully understand. He supposed his instincts would guide him, or the pure animal lust now snaking from between his legs to the rest of his body, leaving trails of fire as they went.

He was no more than a foot from Sasuke, close enough to feel heat from his body and see every cut of hard muscles pressed to taut ivory skin. Naruto slowly reached out a hand, half expecting Sasuke to slap him away. When he didn't, Naruto felt a shiver run through his entire body. Sasuke really did want him back, and this was going to happen. It really was. The blonde touched his fingers to the warm skin stretched over Sasuke's hard stomach, and that was when he truly believed. One of his fingers trailed through a glob of creamy white, feeling the texture of an orgasm he had inspired. Sasuke was shaking beneath his touch, as if controlling himself in that moment was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

And it probably was.

But not for much longer. Naruto took one final step and brought their bodies together, lifting his chin to look directly into Sasuke's gleaming black eyes. The words left his mouth before he could even think them, before he could realize how little he sounded like himself: "I want you, Sasuke."

The lust had truly taken control.

…

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes when Naruto first turned around. He'd been prepared for a fist in the face; that was what a pervert like him deserved, after all. Carrying on like that where anyone could hear him, he absolutely deserved whatever Naruto wanted to dish out at him.

But that was not what he received. Naruto's eyes were not full of hatred, or even with the slightest hint of anger. They were brimming with emotion that stopped Sasuke in his tracks, emotion that he'd never seen on the other boy's face before. Lust. Confusion. Curiosity. Sasuke immediately lost the feeling that he was in control of the situation. The look Naruto gave him, the way his eyes darted down his body and up again, spoke of a beast about to devour his helpless prey. Sasuke felt a tingle of interest in his body at the thought of being devoured.

At the same time, this was not how it was supposed to happen. The time wasn't right yet, but they had already reached a point far beyond anything Sasuke could maintain. If they stopped now, all of Sasuke's careful planning would be ruined, and Naruto could be sexually scarred for the rest of his days. At the same time, Sasuke was even more afraid of what would happen if they didn't stop. The possibilities were endless and frightening.

Sasuke had to hold himself firmly in place as Naruto began advancing towards him. His first instinct was to run from this predator that had nothing but bestial intentions shining in his eyes. At the same time, those eyes made his blood run hot and his skin prickle with desire. His body was more than willing no matter how his head protested. Despite the dark-haired boy's iron self control, this was one instance in which he readily believed his body would soundly gag his mind and leave it locked in a closet somewhere.

Fingers played lightly over his abdomen, and Sasuke nearly swooned. God, it felt so good to be touched like this. So much better than his wildest fantasies had imagined. Naruto's touch had the uncertainty of a virgin but the lust of a courtesan. It was intoxicating, drilling holes through the last of Sasuke's restraint. Only one thing held him back now, something he hadn't been aware of until this very moment.

When he looked at Naruto, he saw so much more than the plot he'd originally cooked up. He no longer wanted to force love upon the blonde; he wanted him to find it for himself. Sasuke was overwhelmed by this need to protect his partner from all the nasty things in the world, all the heartache. He wanted to see him smile, to see him laugh, and he wanted to see more of this lustful expression painted across his face. Sasuke chuckled privately in his mind as a realization dawned on him.

These were no ordinary feelings he had for the other boy.

Through trying to get Naruto to fall in love with him, he had taken a plunge of his own.

And then he heard Naruto's voice, better than anything he'd imagined in his fantasies. The last of his will was broken; he would deny himself no longer. This day would end with his body buried in Naruto.

Sasuke raised his long fingers and touched them to Naruto's cheek, ghosting over the skin so sweetly. Naruto smiled a small smile, his blue eyes smoldering with the knowledge of what they were about to do. It was an electric force between them, like magnets pulling hard flesh to hard flesh.

Sasuke wanted more than anything in that moment for their joining to be one of love and tenderness, but the desire had been built too high too fast. This would not be lovemaking; this would be a dance of beasts. They would rut like animals, sweat, grunt, claw flesh, bite lips, and find ecstasy in each other again and again until their energy left them completely. Satiation was hours away from now.

Sasuke would have to set his feelings aside for now, and spend this time discovering a whole new side to his partner. Every inch of it.

To be continued….


	7. Chapter 7

_Sorry for the long wait, everyone, but chapter 7 is finally here, and your torture will now end . Prepare yourselves for a sinfully enjoyable time, and as always be sure to tell me what you think. _

_Dedicated to my darling Sora-chan. If a bottle of glue could fix every crack in your heart, I'd buy out Elmer's just for you._

_Disclaimer: I own it not; sadly, this is true._

**Habitual Infatuation .::. Chapter Seven**

Sasuke lost himself in the mesmerizing pattern being slowly scrawled over his skin. His coal black eyes closed of their own accord and his head leaned back, releasing a low growl of pleasure buried deeply in his throat. He'd never known simple touching could feel so good. Perhaps it wasn't the touch but the person doing the touching. One black eye cracked open and taunted Sasuke with a beautiful sight: Naruto watching him with a look of mingled fascination and desire, his blue eyes riveted on the path his fingers were tracing over Sasuke's hard stomach, through remnants of water, sweat, and semen.

The Kyuubi's head was cocked ever so slightly to the side, reminding Sasuke of a golden kitten playing in the sun. Those startling sapphire eyes were wide open and glistening with innocent curiosity, with lust and the abandon of inevitability. What they both had known would eventually come had finally arrived upon them. Sasuke could still hear the echo of Naruto's heated words in his ear: _I want you, Sasuke. _A shiver raced down his spine at the memory, raising goosebumps along his ivory smooth skin. He'd longed to hear those words without even realizing it.

Sasuke growled again, this time with frustration. He had lost his clothing long ago at the side of the river, yet Naruto for all his visible arousal was still completely robed and not even slightly ruffled. That would change soon if Sasuke had any say in it.

With one swift, fluid movement, Sasuke grabbed the tanned hands that were playing across his chest, ignoring the mewls of protest that came from his soon-to-be-lover. The black-haired ninja pressed his lower body to Naruto, using the other boy's hands to pull them closer together. He gasped when he felt how easily the blonde melded their bodies, how eagerly he moved to rub against him in the most sensitive area, sending a wave of delicious friction crashing through him.

Sasuke panted and tightened his grip on Naruto's wrists, unable to control himself with this animal lust in his veins. It felt so good to feel control slipping away, something he usually treasured as a means of protecting himself. He didn't want to protect himself from Naruto. He wanted to feel his walls torn down; he wanted to feel himself drowning in the liquid heat pooling between his legs; he wanted to _feel _until he lost all sense of himself.

Sasuke's hands danced across Naruto's clothing, finding the hidden ties and clasps that made a shinobi uniform. These were always kept in secret, hard-to-reach places, to keep an enemy from using them to their advantage in battle. A ninja was not easily undressed, but the challenge could make for an interesting touch during foreplay. Sasuke's arousal was heightened by the anticipation. Every inch of tanned skin he managed to free from the bonds concealing it took time and effort to reveal. And most of all, he got to see the dazed look in Naruto's eyes as his hands explored so much of him, buried deeply in his clothing. This was still so new to them; they'd been enemies once: rivals. Then, slowly, the friendship had formed, the bond between them. And now….

Well, Sasuke wasn't really certain about now. He knew what he felt for Naruto. It pulsed lazily but strongly just behind the shallow lust that burned his skin on the surface. There was deepness there, something profound that his pride would not let him speak of just yet. He would give his life for this innocent, beautiful, and strangely cynical creature in his arms, looking up at him with cerulean trust. But that said nothing of what Naruto felt for him in return.

A tingle of doubt suddenly wormed its way into the pit of Sasuke's stomach, slowing his hands as they journeyed along the curves of Naruto's body. This felt…wrong. Much of it felt so good, so satisfying, and yet…this wasn't how he wanted it to be. He couldn't handle the uncertainty. He wanted to take Naruto in his arms and whisper words of love to him, but he just couldn't. Sasuke was afraid of what would happen if he did. Naruto might run from him, like he'd run before. Sasuke might lose the beautiful little blonde forever….

Sasuke was broken from his thoughts by a tentative touch on the side of his face. Something hot and wet slid along the length of his jaw, and Sasuke jumped with the realization that it was Naruto's tongue he was feeling. A small moan escaped from between his lips before he could stop it. The touch was so light, yet so deliciously provocative. Who knew Naruto could do such wonderful things with that tongue of his…?

And Sasuke was suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to know what else that tongue could do. Two forces raged within him: his emotions and his desire, and the two were strangely interlinked. He wanted Naruto so much, but he wanted more than just Naruto's body. Which did he listen to? The side that said they should stop this now before their fragile bond was ruined, or the side that said stopping would cause just as much harm as continuing?

They couldn't stop now. They'd come so far already.

In a fraction of a second, Sasuke's mind was made up. He turned his head to where Naruto's tongue had been playing lightly with his earlobe, sending shivers down the dark-haired boy's spine. Their lips touched just barely—a ghost of sensation—but the touch was like a golden flower bursting into bloom. Eyes as black as spilled ink met perfect azure blue and held that electrifying gaze just as their lips held each other in a passionate lock. Sasuke moved first, slipping his tongue between his lips to trace a hot line along Naruto's. He felt the other boy shudder against him and knew what effect his touch was having. He gathered Naruto into his arms and pulled their bodies closely together, his tongue still working lightly along the outside of Naruto's mouth. The blonde boy's lips parted slowly at first and then more eagerly, inviting the intensity that Sasuke offered.

Sasuke took the invitation and slipped his tongue into Naruto's mouth, savoring the boy's sweet taste on his lips. Honeysuckle. The taste reminded him of honeysuckle, warm and sun-kissed: the taste of wild things that grow in tangles. Sasuke felt rather than heard the moan that rumbled deep in Naruto's throat like a kitten's purr. This sound spurred him on to devour the other boy, exploring his mouth carefully and thoroughly in a way that left them both craving more. Slowly, Sasuke began edging the other boy back towards the pile of sweet ferns that usually made his bed for the night. When he heard the crunch of fresh plants beneath his feet, he reluctantly pulled his mouth from Naruto's and gazed at the other boy's face.

The blonde's cheeks were flushed with a delightful rosy color, like wildflower blossoms popping out of sandy shores. His gemstone eyes were half-lidded and brimming with unshielded desire, something Naruto had obvious grown used to in such a short amount of time. The flicker of shame was gone from his face as he stared back at Sasuke, silently admiring for the thousandth time his porcelain skin and intense, inky eyes. No words passed between them as Sasuke guided Naruto down to the ferns, tugging away the final ties of his clothing as they went. They needed no words to express what they both felt, what they needed so voraciously in this moment: each other.

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed softly against the other boy's tanned skin as his lips dipped down to brush along the Kyuubi's collarbone. Naruto responded by pressing their bodies perfectly together, like jigsaw puzzle pieces. Sasuke's eyes fluttered closed as a flood of savory sensations washed through him. It was sinful for a virgin like Naruto to be so damnably good at this. How did the tentative blonde know just how to move against him? Perhaps this was a good omen; what they were about to do was meant to be, no matter how many dark doubts Sasuke still harbored in his heart.

Slowly—dreadfully slowly—Sasuke dragged his soft lips along Naruto's skin, across his collarbone to his shoulders and up the curve of his neck, exhaling as he went and tickling the boy with his warm breath. Naruto shivered beneath him, groaning from the teasing touch when the only thing both of them wanted was to be buried in each other. These mild caresses were exquisite torture for them both, but Sasuke refused to be rushed.

Long, pale fingers ghosted down Naruto's sides, playing with the curves of his body. He traced along the cuts of muscle below the taut skin of Naruto's abdomen, made firm from hours of rough training. Sasuke delighted in the tremors that ran through this sculpted, young body. He could feel the blonde boy's heart hammering in his chest and knew his own heart must be beating at a similar frantic rhythm. Sasuke aligned their bodies together, his need growing too great to contain for much longer, no matter how much he wished to draw out this experience. He rocked slowly against Naruto's thigh, letting his partner feel the intensity of his arousal.

Naruto responded in a most unexpected way. Sasuke nearly jumped as he felt smooth fingers slip between their bodies, mirroring the explorative path Sasuke himself had traced along Naruto's body just moments before. A groan poured from between Sasuke's full lips as Naruto's fingers traced paths of fire along his skin. The black-haired ninja rested his forehead against Naruto's, forcing the other boy to meet his gaze. Sapphire blue locked onto onyx black, and for a moment time froze. Panting breaths and sweat mingled between them as they stared at each other, knowing that only one step remained between them and the end of the old lives they'd led.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered softly, his eyes never leaving those of the other boy. Sasuke swallowed thickly, amazed by how different his name sounded now as opposed to an hour ago.

Sasuke gritted his teeth slightly as a thought occurred to him. Naruto was a virgin, which meant this experience could be extremely painful for him if Sasuke didn't go through the proper preparations. Slowly, the paler boy let his fingers tickle down Naruto's abdomen to his inner thigh. Instead of caressing the smooth skin there as he had before, Sasuke traced a path around Naruto's body and slipped between his legs from behind. He felt Naruto squirm slightly, and the blonde boy's eyes widened as he realized what Sasuke was about to do.

"I don't want to hurt you." Sasuke's eyes were filled with inky intensity as his fingers gently tickled Naruto's entrance. "Say the word, and we'll forget this ever happened." This promise sounded hollow to them both. They knew this incident could never be forgotten, could never be swept away. They had awakened something in them both. Nevertheless, Naruto smiled slightly to show his appreciation of Sasuke's offer. He snuggled his warm, tan body closer to Sasuke's, making room beneath him for the other boy's fingers to move. That was all the consent Sasuke needed. The passions building in his body were hidden carefully by his outward self-control, but that didn't mean they weren't eating him alive. He wanted to consume this golden boy sprawled beneath him, body and soul, like Skoll who swallowed the Sun in ancient mythology.

Sasuke took a shaky breath, willing his self-control to last for just a few minutes longer. Slowly, he removed the fingers that tickled Naruto's entrance and placed them at the boy's mouth. "Suck," he whispered softly, his eyes trained on Naruto's. The blonde looked surprised for a moment but eagerly complied, taking the fingers into his mouth and working his tongue sensuously over them. It was all Sasuke could do to restrain a groan in response to the wanton display. After a moment, he gently pulled his fingers from the other boy's lips and slipped them beneath Naruto again. Sasuke knew he would have to do everything in his power to distract Naruto from the initial discomfort, or he might just scare him away.

Once again, the black-haired ninja let his long, nimble fingers toy with Naruto's entrance, teasing the puckered flesh. As his fingers softly worked at the skin, Sasuke worked his legs to either side of Naruto's until he was straddling the boy, bringing the hardened parts of their anatomy hotly together. Naruto moaned freely as their arousals brushed, slicked with fluid that proved how great their need for each other had grown. Carefully, Sasuke pushed one finger past the first ring of muscles guarding Naruto's entrance, encouraged by the fact that the blonde boy barely seemed to notice in light of their new position. Naruto took very well to having Sasuke sit astride him, ready to ride this golden beast into the hottest throes of pleasure.

Deeper penetration would be more uncomfortable, Sasuke knew, and so he began to rock against the other boy, gritting his teeth to contain the moans that wanted to pour from him. Feeling Naruto's hardness against his made it all the more real how he felt for his partner. His feelings were almost too much for him now, wondrous and frightening at the same time. He'd never felt for anyone before the way he felt for Naruto, and it reminded him sharply of why he was doing this. He wanted Naruto to fall in love—to love someone, someone who would be worthy of the stunningly beautiful creature that Naruto truly was.

Sasuke tried to force himself not to think of his uncertainties. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter if his plan worked and Naruto came to love him, or if he failed and Naruto fell for someone else. It only mattered that Naruto could love. But Sasuke couldn't help but think the worst. A cold pit formed in his stomach at the thought of Naruto laying with anyone the way he was laying with Sasuke now. He began to wonder how his heart would possibly mend if this was the only time he would get to be with Naruto like this.

If there was no better outcome waiting for him, if Naruto would never come to feel for him the way he wished he would, then Sasuke would at least make Naruto feel as much as he could while he still had the opportunity.

Sasuke watched the ecstasy that his movements brought to the other boy as it twisted Naruto's facial features and deepened his voice to a sexy rumble. He kept up the rocking motion that brought them both such tantalizing pleasure as his fingers gradually delved deeper into the other boy. Naruto's sweet gasps of pleasure filled Sasuke's ears, and he could feel himself getting swept away in the music of it. Deeper and deeper his finger slipped into the body of his future lover, and eventually a second joined it. Somewhere in the course of this new exploration, Sasuke felt the soft touch of Naruto's lips against his and locked on to the blonde's mouth. So entangled they were in each other, it almost seemed they had already joined their bodies together.

Only a startled gasp from Naruto brought reality crashing back down on the panting pair.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's blue eyes were open wide as he ripped his mouth away from the lips and tongue that had been exploring it so thoroughly.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, half drunk from the honeyed taste of the boy beneath him. _God, please don't let it stop now. I couldn't bear it, _he thought.

"You…when you…I…" Naruto stuttered, looking confused. Sasuke watched him carefully, trying to discern if he had done something to frighten the boy enough to make him want to stop. "Naruto, tell me what's wrong."

"It wasn't _wrong_," Naruto responded, chewing his lip in a deliciously cute manner. "It just felt…different."

"What did?" Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion.

Naruto's blush covered the entirety of his face. Whatever it was, it was obviously a delicate subject in the blonde's book.

Sasuke smirked. They'd been tangled in each other for longer than either of them could figure out, yet Naruto still blushed at the thought of what they were doing. How utterly adorable.

"The…the thing that your finger touched…inside of me," Naruto managed to explain, blushing furiously. "Could…could you do that again?"

Sasuke blinked. He'd been concentrating so hard on the feel of his lower abdomen rubbing against Naruto and the taste of the blonde on his tongue that he'd almost forgotten the fingers he was sliding deeply into the boy's now stretched entrance. A sly smile spread across Sasuke's face as a whole new world of possibilities opened up in his mind.

"Yes, I can do that again," Sasuke purred, grinning like a fox. To demonstrate his point, Sasuke's fingers wiggled experimentally, searching for the exact location of the spot that drove his blonde lover wild. Naruto's muscles clenched deliciously around him, but still he kept it up until a moan of pleasure burst from between those delicate rose petal lips, signifying that Sasuke had found what he was looking for. Gently, Sasuke teased the spot within Naruto, watching as the boy's face twisted into a variety of expressions: lust, satisfaction, surprise, pleasure, and so on. Sasuke drank in these expressions, amazed at what a profound effect they had on him. He felt almost as if he could reach a climax similar to the one obviously building in his partner simply from watching his face.

Unable to take it any longer, Sasuke withdrew his fingers, earning a disappointed groan from Naruto. Chastely, the black-haired ninja kissed Naruto's forehead before shifting his weight to place a neglected part of his anatomy at his partner's readied entrance. Naruto whined slightly and bucked his hips with need, sending gossamer cracks racing through the iron fortress that was Sasuke's self-control. Oh how he wanted to bury himself in the soft body lying beneath him, feel it twist and writhe and wriggle. But he held himself off, concerned for the comfort of his new lover.

Sasuke fluttered kisses across Naruto's flushed cheeks and to his ear, whispering softly, "This is going to be uncomfortable, and I can't promise not to hurt you, but it will get better." With that, he pushed in, forcing himself to go slowly. Naruto's breath hitched into a strangled groan; Sasuke knew not if it was one of pain or pleasure, though he supposed it could be both. So difficult it was to move slowly when that gripping heat called to every inch of him. He focused on the pounding of his heart, the pit of his stomach that told him he felt too much for this boy to abuse him in any way. He listened to the ragged edge Naruto's breathing had taken, searching for any indication of fear or discomfort. He distracted himself from the mind-numbing feeling creeping through his body with maddening slowness.

He tried to think of a way to describe it. There had to be a word. Euphoria. Bliss. Ecstasy. Sheer, undiluted rapture in the form of two bodies moving in tandem. God, it felt so good. He sank down fully and paused, shaking with the effort to hold himself still. Naruto's body was so hot, so soft, so tender beneath him that all he could imagine was delving into it faster and faster, pounding the thrusts deeply into him. Instead, he buried his face in the other boy's neck and bit viciously down on the junction of his neck and shoulder. He didn't want to hurt the other boy, but he needed something to grip him to reality.

Naruto mewled with mixed pleasure and pain as Sasuke sucked viciously on his neck, lapping up tiny droplets of blood that his teeth had brought to the surface. Naruto's skin was on fire, and the tantalizing feel of Sasuke's tongue and lips did not help the situation. There was also another fire now searing between his legs, thick and hard and so hot he could barely stand it. It hurt like ripping skin, but somehow he felt filled, complete. A missing piece was now in place, and in just a little more time he would be able to see the greater picture.

Experimentally, Naruto wrapped his legs around Sasuke's narrow waist, locking them in place and unwittingly making it easier for the black-haired boy to thrust. This simple movement brought a startled look of pleasure to Sasuke's face that the blonde shinobi was anxious to see again. Tentatively, he bucked his hips forward, rocking ever so slightly against the warmth buried between his legs. This time, his actions earned a soft moan from Sasuke, whose inky eyes were wide with astonishment. Naruto moved again, this time more confident in the natural way his hips rolled together with Sasuke's. It hurt, certainly, but he found pain became less and less important the more he concentrated on the look on his lover's face.

Sasuke's breath came in shallow pants. Nothing he had ever done in his entire life had ever felt as good as this. His mind was hazy with the downpour of feeling rushing through him. His strong arms wrapped tightly around Naruto's shoulders and gripped the boy to him. His hips moved slowly at first, matching the rhythm Naruto had established, but gradually they picked up speed. He needed release, and he needed it soon. Normally, he would have drawn this out. He would have teased and touched and milked every moan he could get from the pliant body beneath him. But this was not the time for that kind of superficial flirtation. This was the time for passion too hot to be quenched. This was the time for an orgasm so sweet and unexpected it left you dizzy for long moments afterward. This was the time for Sasuke to show Naruto just how badly he wanted him.

And so he did.

The thrusts came harder and deeper. The sweat dripped. The moans became screams became gurgles became soundless, desperate breathing muffled by brushing lips and tasting tongues. Muscles grew taut and lax again in the constant rhythm of sex, slicked by all manner of bodily fluids. And when the orgasms finally came, they came within seconds of each other and hit both boys so hard they couldn't even breathe. They rode through the waves and aftershocks together, nails digging into skin, teeth clenched into wordless moans.

And all the while, Sasuke could only think of this thing that he'd done.

When they finally pulled apart, reluctantly, shakily, as if their limbs no longer knew how to function separately, only one thing was on Sasuke's mind.

He loved this boy. The realization didn't startle him as much as he thought it would. After all, he himself had devised the plan to make sex turn into love. What he hadn't planned was for his own cherub arrow to be turned back on him.

And still he could only think of this thing that he'd done.

He'd shown Naruto love. One form of love. The most skin-deep form. The easiest one to do and then forget about. One night stands ran rampant through the world without leaving too many broken hearts in their wake. Oh God, what had he been thinking?

Sasuke watched as Naruto snuggled against his chest, oblivious to the turmoil within his lover's mind. Sunset had fallen upon them in the time elapsed, and the final golden drops of sun splashing around them lit the forest up as if it were on fire. Naruto's eyes shown like twilight gems as his long lashes slowly fluttered closed. His skin was oiled gold, glowing with the light of satiation, marred only by little love bites Sasuke had left here and there that would soon fade.

Sasuke hoped with all his heart that what had happened between them would last longer than those marks.

His heart heavy with worry and his mind ablaze with thought, Sasuke let his own eyes drift closed and send him into the dreamy oblivion of after-sex sleep. But still all he could think of was this thing he had done: the manipulation, the execution, and all his hope for the future.

_To Be Continued…_


	8. Chapter 8

_I would like to officially go on record with saying that you guys ROCK MY WORLD! The response to my last chapter was absolutely fantastic, inspiring, and it made me pour a lot more effort into this chapter. Seriously, what a motivational kick in the ass. And you guys raised such thoughtful questions. That proves that everyone out there actually gets this little fic of mine and doesn't just want another generic SasuNaru love story. Me so happy. Oh, and one reader, xxMikeyxx, raised a very important question that will now be answered. He knows what I mean, and the rest of you will soon as well. _

_Disclaimer: 'Tis sadly not mine._

_All my love to Sora-chan, and my thanks to her for bountiful inspiration._

**Habitual Infatuation .::. Chapter 8**

Long lashes fluttered slowly open, revealing eyes as dark as ink wells beneath. A pink flash of tongue slid over dry lips and moistened them as if in preparation for speech. When the lips parted, all that escaped from them was a wordless groan, soft and guttural.

Sasuke had never felt this way before in his life.

Morning had come. He could tell by the slant of the sun's rays in the perfect sky hanging above him. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep. This could be the morning of a day a week after the one he'd fallen asleep on, and it would make no difference to him. Time no longer held meaning for the young shinobi. Every sinew in his body seemed alive to him, as if he'd flooded them with chakra. He'd read about this sort of thing before, heard descriptions of it from experienced ninja, but never had he once in his life been able to understand what it was really like. He felt _alive._

A quick glance down to his chest confirmed what Sasuke already knew. A golden mass of hair was resting against him, connected to a body that was snuggled warmly to his side, belonging to Sasuke's former partner whom he had just engaged in rather mind-blowing sex with. Memories rushed over him, invoking tastes and sounds and touches that made him shiver. No wonder his body felt so strange to him. Never in his life had he ever done anything of the sort.

Sasuke bit his lip as a realization dawned on him. Never had he done that before. He'd been so focused on the fact that it was Naruto's first time, he'd overlooked one very important detail.

It was Sasuke's first time as well.

He'd had dozens of admirers over the years, naturally, and those were just the ones who'd made themselves known. But never before had he chosen to lay with one as he had laid with Naruto. He had dismissed all of his would-be suitors one-by-one. It wasn't through any personal distaste for most of them, or from a feeling of superiority, but simply due to a lack of time. He was training to be an elite ninja and could not afford the distraction of courtship rituals.

He had, however, not allowed himself to become ignorant of the subject simply because he chose not to indulge in it. In his spare time, or when he needed a break from studying different jutsu, Sasuke had read up on all manner of topics ranging from foreign courtship rituals to anatomy to the effects of sexual contact on both the physical and cognitive parts of humans. He had read that emotional attachment generally follows the decision to have sex, hence why he had formulated his plan to make Naruto fall in love with him. Sasuke had assumed that the golden-haired ninja would naturally form an emotional bond with him as a result of their physical bond, and then Naruto would be able to enjoy love like any normal person.

The plan was brilliant, well-carried out, and fool-proof.

However, Sasuke had neglected to factor in one very important aspect.

It takes two people to form a physical bond, and therefore the emotional bond runs both ways. Sasuke's body felt strange to him for much deeper reasons than simply because he was no longer a virgin. He _ached_ in a way he never would have thought possible. Naruto was lying right next to him, yet Sasuke could swear his mind was telling him that he missed the blonde shinobi. And worst of all, Sasuke could remember thinking treacherous thoughts while he was making love to Naruto: thoughts of love and affection.

Those thoughts had not died away with sleep as Sasuke had hoped they would.

This was a disaster.

Sasuke bit his lip in exasperation, willing the icy calm that was his greatest weapon to return to him and guide him. This wasn't nearly as bad as his thoughts were making it seem. If he had been looking at this situation any time but the morning after, Sasuke would have been able to think clearly. But right now, his mind was still clouded with feelings, with memories, with the sound of Naruto moaning his name….

No matter what came of it, Sasuke could never regret what he and Naruto had done.

Just as this thought entered his head, Sasuke felt a stirring against his chest. The pattern of Naruto's breathing changed, and a little groan escaped the young ninja's lips. Sasuke tensed as he watched the body pressed to his, a slow sense of dread seeping into him like icy poison. It was one thing to think about what he'd done; it was another thing to be confronted with the beautiful creature he'd done it with.

Naruto's long lashes drifted leisurely up, revealing pools of cerulean hidden beneath them. At first, the blond ninja looked confused, as if he had no idea where he was or what he was doing. He glanced down at his body, taking in its naked and glistening appearance. Then he glanced at Sasuke's body, so perfectly entwined with his, also naked and glistening lasciviously. Then, in a moment that seemed to stop time, Naruto glanced up at Sasuke's face and their eyes met head on.

Sasuke felt his body stiffen as he was caught and inexplicably held in that gaze. He'd always noted the rare and beautiful color of Naruto's eyes, but never before had he felt as though he could lose himself forever tracing the star-like patterns. The tones, the textures, the ripples… every niche and shadow seemed worthy of exploration. God, how he loved those eyes.

Sasuke frowned. There was that love word again.

With a start, he realized a strange, hurt look had come over Naruto's face. Then it dawned on the black-haired ninja that he'd been staring at Naruto and frowning, something that the blonde would certainly have interpreted as a bad thing. Thinking quickly, Sasuke forced a smirk to his face and ruffled the tousled blonde locks before him. "Good morning, Naruto."

Sasuke watched with satisfaction as a small shudder ran through the blonde when his name was said. He was obviously remembering the sound of Sasuke growling it breathily.

"Good morning," Naruto responded, somewhat tentatively. Then, in a much louder and more assertive voice, he made the profound claim, "I'm hungry."

Sasuke almost laughed. Only Naruto could sound so much like himself while lying naked on top of another man after a night of wondrous homoerotica. A blush coated the other ninja's cheeks at the sound of Sasuke's laughter, and for the first time a trace of uncertainty flickered in his eyes. Naruto pulled his body from Sasuke's and turned his eyes away, pointedly searching around the clearing for his clothing. The blonde climbed to his feet and began gathering the scattered garments, covering his naked flesh with them as quickly as he could. All the while, he did not glance at Sasuke once.

Sasuke's inner laughter immediately died away as he watched the nervous movements of his partner. Was Naruto simply embarrassed, or did he lament what they had done? Or both? Sasuke needed to figure that out and quickly. Setting aside his usual tact for once, the black-haired shinobi climbed fluidly to his feet and in a few long strides placed himself behind Naruto. The blonde ninja's body went rigid as he sensed Sasuke's presence so near to him, though his back was turned. Tentatively, Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, silently asking him to turn around.

Without a word, Naruto obeyed, pivoting slowly until the two boys stood chest-to-chest, gazing into each other's eyes in a clash of afternoon blue and inky midnight. Slowly, Sasuke brought a hand to Naruto's cheek and gently cupped it, brushing his fingers along the curve of his lover's jaw. Naruto's eyes closed at the touch, and he leaned into it, nuzzling against Sasuke's hand. The paler ninja breathed a silent sigh of relief at Naruto's reaction. This didn't necessarily mean that Naruto felt the same way for him, but it at least meant their entire relationship was yet to be ruined.

And then Sasuke was overcome by the urge to do something incredibly stupid.

He had to tell Naruto how he felt about him.

"Naruto…" he whispered slowly, uncertainty filling his chest like cold lead. Dizziness rushed over him for a moment as he was once again caught in the mesmerizing blue of Naruto's eyes. So much to say and so few words with which to say it correctly. If he didn't tread cautiously, he might blow any chance he had of…

…Of what?

Sasuke was horrified to realize that he had absolutely no idea what he really wanted from Naruto. He felt so strongly for the blonde that it pained him to think of those feelings not being reciprocated. He already understood that much. What he had failed thus far to entertain was the idea of Naruto actually returning his feelings. What would Sasuke do if Naruto loved him as well? They'd been partners for so long that the idea of a romantic relationship between them was preposterous. They would never be allowed to work together in the field if there was the slightest hint of bias between them. Their love might compromise their abilities as shinobi.

Sasuke could feel the color draining from his face as he began to comprehend the full range of consequences that his actions would have. He had only intended to give Naruto a grand gift: the gift of love. Instead, he might have found a way to force the boy he loved away from him forever.

"Teme, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, startling Sasuke from his thoughts. It was odd to hear Naruto's old nickname for him after all they'd been through. It just didn't have the same bitter ring to it anymore.

_I shouldn't worry about what is to come until I know for sure that there's something to worry about, _Sasuke assured himself. _Just get on with it; a true Uchiha can handle anything, even matters of the heart._

"Naruto… this is difficult to say, but I must tell you something." Sasuke's lips were forming the words of their own volition. His heart hammered until he thought it would explode.

The moment of truth had arrived.

"I love you."

Silence followed Sasuke's words so thickly he swore he could feel it filling his ears. Naruto's eyes slowly widened until they resembled twin balls of blue flame. Sasuke's entire body went stiff with mounting tension. The first step of what could be an impossibly long journey had been taken.

Gradually, Naruto's eyelids lowered over the sparkling pools of blue that were his eyes until his long lashes rested calmly on his cheeks. Then they lifted again like the dramatic unfurling of a black velvet curtain, poised for the opening act. Naruto studied Sasuke's face, searching the features etched from porcelain. He reminded Sasuke of a sculpture looking to put the finishing touches on his grandest creation.

Slowly, achingly slowly, Naruto's lips parted, and he wet them in preparation for speech much as Sasuke had done moments before. The black-haired ninja tensed, watching with tortuous sharpness as the muscles in Naruto's delicate and beautiful throat tightened.

"Sasuke, I—"

"Well, well, what have we here?" An unexpected voice cut Naruto off.

Both boys jerked with such pure shock, they were thrown gracelessly to the ground. Sasuke recovered the fastest, digging himself out of the pile of tangled limbs that he and Naruto had become for the second time and glancing in the direction of the mystery voice.

There, standing in his typical pose of casual observation, was none other than their missing sensei: Kakashi. Sasuke's anger flashed in him like a dancing dagger. Why, when Kakashi could have appeared at any other time in the universe, did he have to do so now? The young ninja cursed the ill-timing that seemed to be plaguing him these days.

For a moment, Kakashi merely stood there, examining the boys with a practiced eye and a smirk, as if sizing up an opponent. Sasuke's teeth gritted as he felt his teacher's gaze roving over him and his lover. He was infuriated by both for different reasons; he couldn't stand his loss of dignity in being naked before his superior, but even more so he couldn't stand the thought of another man looking at Naruto's body.

After an eon of uncomfortable silence, Kakashi stretched languidly and crossed his arms. "I was wondering what kind of condition I would discover you two in when I finally came to fetch you…but I must say, this is nothing like what I expected. You look very…cozy."

Naruto's blush spread from his cheeks to every inch of his lean, tanned body. Sasuke watched the comical effect with dread, knowing he'd never get an answer out of the blonde ninja now.

His inky eyes locked on Kakashi like lasers, and with an exasperated growl spat out through clenched teeth, he stated simply: "Kakashi-sensei, I fucking hate you."

To be continued….


	9. Chapter 9

_Hurrah for a new chapter! Sorry for the wait, as always. I think I would apologize for the wait even if I updated once a day. Damn, that would kill me. Well, I'm sure you're all excited to see the cliff-hanger broken. What will Kakashi-sensei do? Read, and ye shall receive. _

_Dedicated to the charming and lovely Sora-chan, in all her maidenly glory. Happy late anniversary to her and her beautiful fiancé Tsumi-chan. May their love grow like the branches of a tree, spreading towards the heavens and sheltering the lives that lay twined with their roots._

_Disclaimer: Not mine, never, ever and always._

**Habitual Infatuation .::. Chapter Nine**

Now this was interesting.

For a ninja whose very livelihood depended on the art of subtlety, Kakashi had an uncanny flair for the dramatic. He remembered the very first challenge he'd ever presented his students with: a quest to take three shining bells from him. It had been a simple enough concept, yet bursting with buried intrigue. That was the sort of thing he loved: contrasts, hidden twists, and complexity masked by simplicity.

And it seemed he had stumbled upon a perfect blend of all three.

For the past few weeks, Sakura and Kakashi had been enjoying a mild vacation of sorts: moseying through quiet villages, eating good food, training when they felt like it and not when they didn't. The twosome had almost completely forgotten about the teammates they'd left behind, they were so enjoying their time away from them. It was amazing how quiet life became when you removed the two loudest components in it. Eventually, Kakashi and Sakura had awoken from their peaceful stupor as if from a dream and had decided they'd stranded the bickering shinobi long enough to make them realize the error of their ways.

"Perhaps this will teach them to pay more attention to the world around them than to their own petty squabbling," Kakashi had imparted to Sakura earlier that morning, stretching languidly after a deep night's sleep. The pink-haired girl, still curled up next to the remnants of their campfire, had merely nodded dreamily and rolled over in her bed of ferns, preparing to grab a last few hours of peaceful rest while she still could. Kakashi had chuckled to her sleeping back and vanished, opting to let the girl rest while he picked the boys up on his own. He figured the poor girl deserved a few extra hours of beauty sleep before the typhoons known as Naruto and Sasuke returned to keep her always on her toes.

Little had Kakashi known how grateful he would be that he'd left Sakura behind. He could imagine the look of sheer Apocalyptic horror that would have come over her face had she even glimpsed what Kakashi was now staring at leisurely. Hell, even he was beginning to think it might be a good idea to check the sky for the Four Horsemen and a gaping, chaotic void.

The sight before him was one he could only wrap his mind around because he happened to be a particularly perverted individual. The two young boys before him were staring intently into each other's eyes with a look that only new lovers could possibly share. And if that look wasn't enough, their close proximity, lack of clothes, and tousled appearance said it all. Naruto and Sasuke had recently shared an intimate physical bond.

_I turn my back for one second and look what happens. _Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. Of all the things he'd expected to come back to, this was certainly not it. Boys certainly did grow up fast these days. It was almost too wild to believe.

But the real shock came just a moment later.

The boys were so fixated on each other that they hadn't yet picked up on Kakashi's presence. Sasuke's face held a look of pain and fear that Kakashi couldn't understand. The next words out of the dark-haired boy's mouth, however, clarified everything.

"I love you."

Kakashi's eyes widened nearly as much as Naruto's. _There's no fucking way, _was the first thought that entered his mind. Naruto and Sasuke were mortal enemies. It was impossible enough that they had somehow formed a physical attraction to each other, despite the fact that they were both young, healthy, and of above-average attractiveness… but love? How the fuck did _that_ happen?

Kakashi had to take a moment to appreciate the sheer insanity of what was going on. The last time he'd seen these boys, they'd been openly engaged in a war of pride, each one determined to out-do the other out of simple hatred. Now, the stereotypical, hyper-active ninja-on-crack was blushing like a blonde schoolgirl while the stoic, silent, bad-boy type was spouting love confessions.

What. The. Fuck.

The writers of shoujo manga everywhere would die if they saw this.

"Well, well, what have we here?" The words tumbled from Kakashi's lips of their own accord. Honestly, he could think of nothing better to say. He had to break this scene somehow before it got any weirder.

He watched with a mild sense of amusement as both boys snapped straight up like cracked whips. Their eyes shot over to him and widened in perfect unison, mouths falling open in disbelief. _The heat of the moment must have given them a touch of amnesia. _Kakashi smiled beneath the mask covering the majority of his face. _They've forgotten completely why they are in these woods in the first place._

Sasuke was the first to recover, and he fixed his teacher with a lethal look normally reserved for the most treacherous of enemies. "Kakashi-sensei, I fucking hate you."

The older ninja had never heard such pure venom before in his life, especially from a young male standing completely naked with another young male. Sasuke did not seem to care about his lack of clothing from the predatory, possessive stance he took in front of Naruto: his long arms crossed in front of his chest, eyebrows drawn together, and his body obviously forming a shield to keep Kakashi from looking at Naruto. The look in his black eyes almost made Kakashi feel as if _he _had done something wrong.

_Well, I did interrupt what seemed to be a very special moment between these two, _the sensei thought, half-serious and half-sarcastic. _Maybe I should have left them alone for another minute or two…_

Kakashi stopped that train of thought right there. This was serious business! Sex and love on the battlefield were treated with about the same amount of delicacy as treason. Naruto and Sasuke's actions had given him enough reason to…

Kakashi stopped short.

He could really do it.

Protocol demanded that he did.

In this situation… his orders were to take his two ninja and trade them to other sensei for two new team members.

Kakashi looked back and forth from Naruto to Sasuke, noting what a striking contrast the bewildered look on one ninja's face presented to the positively murderous one on the other.

And then Kakashi was struck with a thought. A thought that fit his personality perfectly.

Why in the name of all things hentai would he separate these two when things _just_ _got interesting_? Their fighting before was certainly amusing, but this new aspect to their relationship presented their sensei with an untold number of ways to torment them.

If they wanted to be in love, that was their problem. If they thought it was going to be easy, that was Kakashi's problem.

If either Sasuke or Naruto had been able to see the evil grin hidden under Kakashi's mask, they might have run for cover. Their sensei was already formulating a plan to drag out this turn of events to its fullest extent.

"Well, I see you two have been busy since I left," Kakashi drawled lazily, his eyes roving over his two pupils.

Naruto's face immediately turned a flaming shade of coral pink. Sasuke merely growled and positioned himself to cover even more of his lover's naked form.

With a blurred flash of gray movement, Kakashi appeared on the other side of the clearing, earning himself a perfect look at Naruto's unshielded, heart-shaped ass. He heard a snarl from Sasuke, and in the blink of an eye the dark-haired ninja switched positions to recover the blonde. Naruto himself had not moved, obviously still too stunned by the situation to do much more than blush adorably.

Kakashi chuckled, ignoring the look of animalistic rage that Sasuke was shooting at him. If he antagonized the poor boy anymore, they might just have a brawl on their hands. "I'll give you two a moment to collect yourselves. I have to go back for Sakura anyways. I was intending to bring you to her, but you're not in quite the right…condition for travel. I'm sure you're sore and exhausted." Kakashi laughed again as the faces of both boys darkened with embarrassment.

"I'll return for you at dusk, and I'll have Sakura with me. Do try to be presentable by then. I don't want the poor girl scarred for life."

Kakashi began to walk away, but before he did so, one last evil idea popped into his head. He glanced over his shoulder, turning part of the way to shout back, "Oh, and when I return, we'll also discuss what is to be done with the both of you in the future. This new relationship of yours changes everything… in ways you can't even imagine."

With that, he walked silently off into the thick trees.

…

Sasuke was nearly paralyzed with fear as he watched his retreating teacher's back until it disappeared into the growth. What did Kakashi mean by that last comment? How did his relationship with Naruto change anything other than his feelings for him? That made absolutely no sense….

Sasuke's features tightened into a look of unbearable pain. He remembered reading something about this before. He'd studied ninja protocol to the letter for so long… but there was one area he'd never paid particular interest to.

Ninja-to-ninja romantic relationships.

What need could he have possibly had for reading those protocols? Sasuke did not fall in love; therefore, he would never have to deal with any problems that transpired from such a thing. He had skimmed that section and moved on.

Now the words came flooding back to him.

The punishment for becoming involved with a shinobi from another village… the punishment for having an affair with your sensei or student… the punishment for engaging in sexual relations during a mission with the provider of the mission.

The entire section was nothing but a list of punishments.

Sasuke couldn't remember what happened if you became involved with a teammate. Naruto had been his enemy, and Sakura meant nothing to him. Why would he have ever needed to know that?

Sasuke's mouth went completely dry with fear.

What was going to happen to them?

"Sasuke." A calm voice broke through the dark-haired ninja's racing thoughts. Sasuke glanced behind him and saw Naruto, looking as beautiful as ever though quite a bit more serious.

"We should get cleaned up," Naruto stated reasonably, showing not a hint of the fear that Sasuke felt deep in his heart. Sasuke was torn between worrying for their future, wishing this had never happened, and wanting above all else to take Naruto in his arms and hear the blonde ninja tell him he loved him. Why was Naruto being so calm?

"Naruto, you realize how much trouble we're in, correct?" Sasuke's eyes became hard as onyx as he scanned his lover's face.

No flash of emotion came to those ocean-blue eyes. Naruto nodded slowly. "Believe it or not, I know the rules about as well as you do. What we did is not acceptable in any society, not even that of the shinobi."

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but could not find his words. It hurt him so much to see such impassivity from Naruto. He wanted the carefree boy to return and challenge him to a pointless battle of pride. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but in the end he was just too afraid of what the answer might be. He settled for a simple one: "Naruto… do you think what we did was acceptable?"

Sasuke waited with bated breath for the answer.

Naruto stared him full in the face. The silence between them stretched tight like a thread of silk. After a pause that seemed immeasurable to Sasuke, Naruto's face softened like clay under the hands of a potter. "When have I ever cared about what is acceptable?"

Naruto turned away and walked in the direction of their bathing pool, leaving Sasuke standing alone to ponder the meaning of his words.

To be continued….

_The next chapter is the last! Let me know what you think now, since you don't have many more chances. Love you all ._


	10. Chapter 10

_I lied! This isn't the last chapter! –ducks as a myriad of plushies, flaming cookies, and random sharp objects are chucked at her- Gah! It was originally supposed to be the last chapter, but when I wrote it all out, it was ridiculously long. So I broke it into two chapters. Please don't kill me._

_The good news is, you'll have the last chapter much sooner than usual, because it's already written. Again, please don't kill me. If you do, you'll never know how it ends! Bwa ha ha!_

_Writing works in such funny ways for me. I update a fic, think to myself that I don't have to worry about a new chapter for a good little bit, several months pass, and then I just suddenly get the urge to update. 24 hours later, a new chapter is ready. Imagine if I had the urge to write all the time. I'd update every other day. But then, I'd have to never work or go to school in order to accomplish that, so don't hold your breath, my darlings._

_I dedicate this fic, in its entirety, to my lovely and vivacious roommate, Sora-chan, and her fiancée, Tsumi-chan. May their footsteps forever dance together, though they may never form circles large enough to encompass such perfect love and companionship. Merry wishes to their future wedding! November 23__rd__ is the date. _

**Habitual Infatuation .:. Chapter Ten**

Kakashi could not stop himself from giggling. The chuckle started low in his throat, soft and breathy. It ignited a little spark of excitement within him, a bud that only blossomed when he was up to his most complex and intriguing schemes. The excitement bubbled quickly up into his throat, turning the low chuckle into a steady guffaw, adding pitch that rose and rose until he found himself… giggling.

Shamelessly.

Like a little, rosy-cheeked girl.

Kakashi hadn't had an intrigue this good in years. Nothing like forbidden love to really brighten your decade.

He'd returned to the little love-nest his male students had made several hours earlier, dragging a frazzled, huffing Sakura along with him. Much as the pink-haired kunoichi wanted to see her "darling love Sasuke-kun" again, she was going to miss the peace and quiet that came from being far away from "that obnoxious, hyper-active blond." Kakashi had sent up a little prayer before returning that the boys would have enough common sense not to expose Sakura to anything indecent upon their return. There was no knowing exactly how Sakura would react to learning her precious Sasuke-kun had deigned to bed with Naruto.

Fortunately, there was no cause for alarm. Kakashi and Sakura returned to a campsite so immaculate, there was no telling anything had gone on in it other than a few hours of sleep. Sasuke and Naruto did not even share a look between them as they trained on the far side of the clearing, each on an opposite side with their eyes focused on a different set of trees: launching weapons into particular branches with pinpoint precision in order to improve their aim. Neither ninja seemed to even notice the return of their teacher and teammate until Sakura catapulted herself full-force into Sasuke's back, trapping the black-haired boy in a hug so tight it must have knocked the wind from his lungs.

Only then did Kakashi spot the faintest trace of the passion he'd seen earlier from the boys. Naruto heard the commotion, glanced over, and in a fraction of a second allowed his face to darken in a telltale look of jealousy and possession. Only Kakashi was quick enough to catch the change in expression before Naruto went back to his practice, stiff-backed and putting considerably more force into his throws. A second later, Kakashi watched as Sasuke darted a nervous look over at Naruto whilst simultaneously attempting to throw Sakura from his back.

That was all the proof Kakashi needed to convince himself that he hadn't imagined the encounter he'd walked in on before. His students were most certainly lovers, and they most certainly had no idea what to do with themselves.

The uncertainty between them was clear. If Naruto really felt he had a claim on Sasuke, or that their relationship was acceptable, he would have marched right over to Sakura and found new holsters for the kunai clenched tightly in his fists. But the tanned boy did nothing, pretending to ignore the muffled shouts that Kakashi knew he could easily hear.

As for Sasuke, Kakashi knew that after having professed his love for Naruto—publicly, honestly, and unrequitedly—the proud Uchiha would not say another word about the subject unless Naruto brought it up himself. And even then it would be difficult to get the prideful ninja to make another such blatant show of emotion. Sasuke would consider it shameful to chase after the blond like a love-sick puppy, regardless of how either of them felt.

Kakashi felt the giggle rising up in him again. This was beyond perfect. Evil as it was, the sensei could think of nothing he'd rather do with his time than mercilessly manipulate the hormone-driven feelings of his unwitting students. What a beautiful mess this was going to be before the end.

Kakashi put two fingers to his lips and gave a shrill whistle. Instantly, he had the undivided attention of his three students. In a flash of chakra and ninja agility, all three appeared a few feet before him, their faces alert and tilted up towards him. The façade of innocence he saw in one pair of blue eyes and one pair of black nearly made him start chuckling again. His precious students thought they were so secretive, so clever. He could sense the tensing of their muscles as they waited to hear what he had to say. Kakashi remembered fondly the threatening note upon which he'd left the two males earlier that day. He had hinted toward severe consequences for their actions, and he knew that both Naruto and Sasuke remembered his words well. They were anticipating punishment, and they were certainly going to get it.

Just not in the way they thought.

"Now that you've all had a touching reunion," Kakashi began, indicating with a nod of his head the sore ribs Sasuke was rubbing profusely and the lump on the head that Sakura had been kind enough to give Naruto, "there are some things we need to discuss."

The tension in Naruto and Sasuke's stances doubled at those words. Their jaws clenched, their eyes darkened, yet all the while they managed to maintain expressions of perfect tranquility. _Perhaps they'll make good shinobi someday after all. _Kakashi thought with a private laugh. He spread his arms outward as if he meant to sweep the entire forest into them. "As beautiful as it is here and as much as I think this training trip has _changed you all_," he paused to see the two boys exchange guilty looks, "it's about time we headed back to civilization. I'm giving us one more night here to relax; at dawn, we depart."

Without another word, Kakashi about-faced and headed into the trees, calling over his shoulder, "Boys, I'm assigning you the task of finding us some meat for dinner. Sakura, get a proper fire going. I'll fetch the water. We meet back here in one hour for dinner."

Kakashi giggled again, carefully keeping his voice out of the realm of human hearing. He could just imagine the aghast looks on the faces of his male students as they realized Kakashi was not going to immediately punish them. With perfect timing, he heard Sakura's now faint voice asking, "What's the matter with you two? Why do you look like you just got a kunai in the stomach?"

_Because they're still waiting for the kunai to come. _Kakashi laughed openly and disappeared into the shadows.

…

Naruto cursed violently under his breath, calling forth the most vulgar oaths he knew in the hopes that they would calm his frustration. There was no food. None. Zilch. Nada. Nowhere, as far as he could sense in any given direction. What had happened to all the twittering birds, leaping deer, and curious rabbits? It was as if they'd been warned ahead of time that predators were on the way. Naruto's vengeful stomach did not miss a single opportunity to remind him of how long it had been since he'd last filled it.

Adding to his already considerable annoyance was the silence of his partner in crime: Uchiha Sasuke. The black-haired boy had set off into the woods after receiving Kakashi's orders without so much as a look over his shoulder to see if Naruto was following him. The blonde was forced to run after him in order to match the brisk pace the other shinobi had set; after a day of physical exertion, unnecessary running was far from welcome. They finally had a moment to themselves, and all Sasuke wanted to do was ignore him.

_One second he's pouring his heart out, the next he's back to being a distant bastard. _Naruto thought with an angry huff._ Was what he said before a joke? Some dumb trick meant to fuck with my "inferior" mind? I swear I'll kill that bastard if he was just fucking around._

Not that Naruto knew what he would do if Sasuke _wasn't_ playing a cruel trick. The older boy's confession had left Naruto more confused than he'd ever felt before. Just days ago, he had told his teammate exactly what he thought about love. The next thing he knew, they were rutting right there on the forest floor like common beasts. And now all Naruto could think about was how perfectly soft his lover's hair was. How beautiful his name sounded when it dripped from those pale lips. How much… he missed Sasuke even when they were mere feet away from each other.

_Is this… what love is? _Naruto thought tentatively, frightened by the thought. He'd never felt anything like this in his life, not even for Sakura whom he claimed to pine for. With no emotion to compare with, Naruto could not begin to dismember his feelings enough to give them a name. All his theories on love were useless to him now. He'd based them on a life _without_ love. Now that he'd experienced it for himself… he realized how ignorant he'd been. It was like trying to describe a rainbow without knowing the name of a single color.

Naruto shuddered at the thought of a rainbow. Of all things, he had to become involved with another _boy. _He could already hear the other villagers whispering behind his back. A relationship of this sort wasn't completely unheard of, and it wasn't completely unacceptable, but it certainly wasn't preferable to "normal" relationships that could produce children.

The blonde shook his head slowly. What had he gotten himself into to?

Before he could ponder that thought, Naruto face-planted painfully into something remarkably hard and warm. A loud curse cracked through the air, and Naruto recognized the speaker as Sasuke. Taking a dazed step backwards, Naruto paused as he waited for the stars exploding in front of his eyes to fade away. He couldn't imagine that he'd managed to walk right into a tree, or that a tree could be so warm, but what other explanation was there?

"You moron, there goes our dinner," Sasuke seethed, his voice dripping with venom. It made Naruto shiver to hear the change from when that same voice had whispered breathily in his ear. The blonde shook his head to make his vision clear faster and glanced up. Sasuke was glaring at him from mere inches away, holding a kunai in his clenched fist. Naruto glared back automatically, a reflex he hadn't managed to shake from the days when Sasuke and he were mortal enemies. At first, he thought Sasuke meant to attack him right there, but then he saw the disappearing form of a deer dashing into a grove of trees several hundred feet away.

With a start, Naruto realized that while he'd been daydreaming, Sasuke was actually looking for food. The black-haired boy had found it, and had been poised and ready to take the deer down when Naruto—oblivious to the fact that Sasuke had stopped walking—had plowed right into him and scared the deer off, probably ruining their one chance at eating that night. Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead, amazed at his innate ability to screw up.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he said piteously, more speaking to his growling stomach than to his lover.

"Apologies are meaningless." Sasuke's voice flashed with silver fangs. "In an emergency, a mistake like that could mean the death of yourself and everyone depending on you to find food. How is it that you manage to ruin even the smallest of assignments?"

Naruto's mood went from apologetic to furious in what must have been record time.

"You bastard! It was a simple mistake! Where do you get off lecturing me over something so trivial, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou?"

Sasuke turned away and folded his arms across his chest, clearly saying that Naruto was not worth a reply. Naruto's mouth dropped open in disbelief. Was he in some kind of time warp? This felt unmistakably like the old days of fighting senselessly with Sasuke over every little thing. After everything they'd been through together, was it that easy to go back to the way they were?

_This is exactly why I don't believe in love. _The thought shocked Naruto as it ran unbidden through his mind. His heart grew cold in his chest as he repeated the words silently to himself. _This is EXACTLY why I don't believe in love. It slips away so easily, just when I thought I was beginning to understand it. _

"Did you mean what you said before?" The words were out of Naruto's lips before he had a chance to think them. With blank blue eyes, he saw Sasuke's body go stiff.

"About you being an idiot? Of course I meant it."

Naruto was not fooled by Sasuke's feigned misunderstanding. The black-haired ninja knew exactly what Naruto was referring to, but he was not about to answer without being a hundred percent sure.

Naruto toyed with his options for a moment; he could always pretend he'd meant something else, but somehow he knew that now was not the moment for cowardice.

"You already know what I'm talking about, Sasuke." Naruto's voice had dropped to a soft murmur, but he knew the other boy could hear him perfectly. "Did you mean what you said before, or were you just fucking with me? Did you mean it when you said… you loved me?"

Naruto's voice cracked as he spoke those last three words. He suddenly found himself lacking oxygen and gulped to fill his empty lungs. There was no going back now. The next words from Sasuke's throat would decide everything. They already knew that Kakashi had the worst in store for them. The real question was would it be worth it in the end?

Sasuke looked like a piece of colored marble, he was standing so rigidly. His heart beat so furiously in his chest he could feel the vibrations in his churning stomach. Why did Naruto have to ask _that_ question, of all the questions in the world? It was the one he knew he would have the hardest time giving an honest answer to. Every instinct he had told him to deny it. Protect yourself. Manipulate. Escape while you can. He'd been a small child the last time he'd trusted someone with the truth, and he remembered quite well what that trust had gotten him.

_Lie. _He chanted it to himself. _Lie. Lie Lie. It'll all go away if you just lie._

Slowly, Sasuke turned to face Naruto, already practicing the lie in his head. His lips parted to speak it, this vile mistruth that would save him from the more frightening reality. Lying was so much easier than people thought.

Blue eyes struck him like piercing arrows. Sasuke nearly shuddered from the friction in the air as his eyes aligned with his lover's, their bodies feet apart that might as well have been inches. Naruto looked like he was standing on the brink of total annihilation. It would be so easy for Sasuke to shatter the ocean-tinted glass that composed those beautiful eyes. He could crush Naruto with a single word.

…and in a rush of nauseating feeling, Sasuke realized that he couldn't do it.

This was one lie that would never leave his lips.

So instead… he fled.

Faster than he'd ever moved in his life, Sasuke was gone. It took Naruto several long seconds to realize that the space in front of him was no longer occupied by another person. He stood there, stunned. His lips parted as if to form words, but he could find none. He felt… nothing. A void had opened within him that he could not begin to describe. Sasuke had left him there, abandoned him like every person he'd ever grown close to. Like his parents. Like his friends. Like everyone. And the thing that bothered him the most was that he didn't understand what this meant. Sasuke would not have left in order to spare him the pain of rejection. The cold bastard didn't care enough about anyone to do that; however, Naruto could not understand why it would be more difficult for Sasuke to tell him he loved him the second time around than it was the first time.

So… why did Sasuke leave?

Naruto would not have long to ponder this question. A prickle of chakra brushed his skin, and in a flash, the blond realized he was no longer alone.

To Be Continued…

_Tune in for next time, my loves. This time, it really is the last chapter, I swear!_


	11. Chapter 11

_The final chapter has arrived! I spent a looooooong time contemplating all the different ways I could make this fic go before I finally settled on an ending. Hopefully, it's one that all of you can find satisfaction with. I tend to make remaining true to the characters' personalities a priority in writing fics, so sometimes my fans get angry at my non-fluff endings. Realism has its value, too, I say. _

_Whenever I sit back and think about how much has happened in the course of writing this fic, it all seems so surreal. It was supposed to be a graduation present for a girl who is now a sophomore in college. If it hadn't been for her, I never even would have had the idea. I've had two birthdays since I started this, I'm 18 now, about to leave for college myself, and a significantly different person than the 14-year-old who started a FFN account one day on a whim. My first fic on this website turned into the inspiration for my first book, and I'll never forget that. (I haven't had the fic posted on here in four years, so don't try to look for it, loves). It's weird to think about, but I've been writing on this site for FOUR ENTIRE YEARS. This is probably the first fic that most of you have read by me, but I've been around for a good chunk of time XD._

_So, without any further adieu, I give you all the last chapter of Habitual Infatuation. I hope you've enjoyed watching it unfold as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'll miss you all so much! I bid my old fans a cheery goodbye, my new ones a fond farewell (I wish we'd had more time together!), and hope that you all give the same loving, clever, energetic, and utterly unique support to the thousands of other aspiring writers on this site. We all have to start somewhere. I love, love, LOVE you all, and thank you so much._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or a mansion. Lolz._

_For Sora-chan and Tsumi-chan. Forever isn't long enough to hold a friendship like ours._

**Habitual Infatuation .:. Chapter Eleven**

Naruto scanned the woods around him nervously, blue eyes peering into every dark corner in an attempt to identify the chakra he sensed.

"Sasuke?" he called uncertainly. His voice echoed emptily around him. He would swear he was alone if it weren't for the unshakable feeling of another's presence. Was he losing his mind? He doubted Sasuke would return so quickly after the way he'd fled before. The dark-haired ninja could have rivaled a magic act with the way he'd disappeared. So…who was it that stalked him from the shadows?

"Sakura?" No answer. Not even a whisper of breeze could be heard. The forest was dead silent. Naruto was beginning to feel stupid. If he really was just imagining things, he was glad no one was around to hear him shouting at the forest like a crazy person. Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the trees, as if he blamed them. He decided to try one more time.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Ah, finally you guess correctly."

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin as a warm voice tickled his ear. He turned around so quickly it actually threw off his equilibrium, and he had to wait for his head to stop spinning before he could see clearly. Kakashi was standing in front of him. Literally, directly in front of him, just a few inches away. The older ninja's eyes were sparkling with a smile that was covered by the mask he wore over his mouth. Something about that smile unnerved Naruto. His teacher was just a little _too _happy, like he was planning something.

Suspiciously, Naruto moved a step away and uncrossed his arms. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei. What are you doing here?"

"When I returned to our campsite with water, Sakura already had a fire going, but Sasuke and you were still missing," Kakashi explained calmly and a little impatiently, as if this story was something he had to get through before he could move on to more important things. "I left to figure out what was taking so long." He chuckled in a way that filled Naruto with discomfort. "I half expected to find you two having sex in the woods somewhere."

Naruto's cheeks immediately turned an insane shade of red. Of course Kakashi knew that Sasuke and he were lovers, but he hadn't expected his teacher to just come out and _say it _like that. How embarrassing, especially considering Sasuke had just run off without him.

Naruto shifted his weight from foot to foot and mumbled, "Don't hold your breath, you pervert. Somehow I doubt Sasuke and I will be doing... _that _anymore."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "Trouble in paradise? You two certainly seemed cozy enough when I walked in on Sasuke's little love confession earlier. Don't tell me he's already denying it?"

Naruto's face turned even hotter; Kakashi could feel the radiating warmth from where he stood.

"He didn't take it back, but he didn't confirm it either. He wouldn't talk about it at all, and then he ran off and left me here. I guess he was just fucking with my head after all."

Kakashi was mildly touched by the obvious pain in Naruto's voice, but not enough to deter him from his plan. He knew quite well that the feelings these boys had for each other would die off if left on their own. Both young shinobi were too prideful for their own good, too scarred by their separate pasts, and far too mistrustful. That was why Kakashi had chosen to step in, in his own special way.

"Poor Naruto; you're learning a lesson about relationships the hard way. Was Sasuke your first?" Kakashi asked casually.

Naruto's head shot up as if Kakashi had punched him. His eyes widened with surprise. He knew Kakashi had no shame, but now they were getting into personal questions. "Um…" Naruto stammered, torn between his desire to obey his teacher and his desire to tell Kakashi to mind his own business. "Yeah… he was my first. I don't think I was his, but…" Naruto trailed off, far too embarrassed to say anything more.

Kakashi touched a hand to his chin, clearly thinking. When he spoke again, all the blush in Naruto's cheeks drained away. "Do you think maybe he's hesitating because you're so inexperienced?"

"What… what do you mean by that?" Naruto was incredulous. Such an idea had never occurred to him, and to hear it from Kakashi was just plain weird.

"What if Sasuke feels guilty for taking your virginity?" Kakashi continued calmly, as if the subject matter was not the least bit delicate to him. "The first person you have sex with stays with you forever, no matter how many partners follow her, or him in your case." Naruto turned red again, but Kakashi ignored it and continued. "What if Sasuke feels you're too inexperienced to satisfy him sexually? Sex is half the relationship, after all. Plenty of people find someone they're attracted to emotionally only to discover they're not attracted to them sexually, and it ruins the relationship."

Naruto was nearly speechless, but not quite. "Do you think… that's why Sasuke ran away? He didn't like what we did?" His heart clenched painfully at the thought, but what Kakashi said made sense. Maybe he was just too inexperienced for a lover like Sasuke. Maybe that was enough to make Sasuke change his mind about how he felt.

"Oh, I'm sure you're a fine lover, Naruto, or at least that you could be with some practice." Kakashi patted Naruto on the back, which did not make the blond feel the least bit better. "Sasuke and you obviously have a lot of chemistry, and chemistry can go a long way towards spicing up your sex life. The real problem is learning the moves, the little things that you can do to make any person's toes curl." Kakashi winked down at him, which immediately made Naruto feel like a little boy caught trying on his father's clothes. Kakashi, perverted as he was, must have had hundreds of lovers in his lifetime.

"Kakashi…" Naruto hesitated, not fully believing that he was really going to ask this next question, "do you think you could tell me how to be a good lover? I mean, so Sasuke might… I mean…" He couldn't continue. He really just couldn't. This way beyond embarrassing. This was downright humiliating. How had he dared to ask such a thing?

He opened his mouth to take back the request, when suddenly the air around him shifted. He felt an arm slip around his waist and warm breath blow through his hair. He stiffened, not fully accepting what was happening.

Kakashi's words tickled his ear again. "Why would I tell you when I could show you?"

Naruto's mouth fell open in shock. Was Kakashi really suggesting such a thing? It was beyond inappropriate. It broke just about every code of conduct that ninjas had. It was completely unheard of.

It… was no more unacceptable than his relationship with Sasuke.

Naruto's heart thudded in his chest as he realized this could really happen. If he refused Kakashi, his teacher might decide to separate Sasuke and him after all. Kakashi had the power to make their lives miserable, or make them blissful. What if Kakashi really could teach him to be a great lover? What if… that was all it took to make Sasuke love him?

Naruto tilted his chin up, hardly daring to look his teacher in the face. Kakashi was still smiling, but both of his hands were drifting slowly over his student's body, massaging the hard muscles and taut skin. Naruto found that he wasn't totally disgusted by the touch. He wasn't in any way attracted to Kakashi—or to any man other than Sasuke—but if he thought about the touch as a learning experience and not as something sexual, he found he could easily stomach it. This wasn't the worst thing he was willing to do for Sasuke, he realized with a start.

Slowly, the young ninja raised his hands to his teacher's body, copying the way Kakashi was touching him. "So…" he whispered uncertainly, "you'll teach me?" He caressed Kakashi's skin through his uniform slowly, imagining that he was touching Sasuke instead. Kakashi leaned down and brushed his lips across Naruto's through his mask, exhaling slowly in a way that made the blond shiver. This, he would admit: Kakashi definitely had skill in the area of lovemaking. Naruto could feel goosebumps popping up on his skin wherever his teacher touched him. He was getting aroused, whether he liked it or not, and they were just getting started.

Kakashi kept his lips just barely touching Naruto's. "I'll do it…but under one condition."

Naruto looked surprised, widening his eyes to silently ask what the condition was.

"You have to tell me exactly how you feel about Sasuke." Kakashi's hands dipped lower to caress the small of Naruto's back and slowly slid around to his inner thigh. "You have to assure me that you're doing this for the right reasons, and that your feelings for him aren't going to change because you have another lover." The blond ninja sighed when his teacher touched him in such an intimate place. It felt so forbidden. However good it felt, his mind stayed focused on Kakashi's words.

Naruto's stomach sunk slightly at the words "another lover". He didn't really want "another lover". Somehow he'd thought it was possible to learn from Kakashi without taking "another lover". When his teacher reminded him that it wasn't, the entire illusion shattered and sent an uncomfortable twinge into his stomach. _This is wrong, but what other choice do I have? _

He took a deep breath to steady himself and then looked up at his teacher. "I love Sasuke."

Kakashi looked surprised at his student's boldness but did not speak, inviting the boy to continue.

"When we first arrived here, I didn't know what love was." Naruto's hands stilled on his teacher's body. "I thought love didn't exist. I thought it was something humans created to bring them comfort. I wasn't completely wrong, but I had a lot of things mixed up. Love _is_ created, but it's created by effort and willingness to do things for the person you love. Love is feeling pain when your partner feels pain, and wanting to do anything you can to make that pain go away. I don't want Sasuke to ever be hurt again, not because it's my problem, but because it's _our _problem. I could leave him to his own heartache if I wanted, but that would hurt me just as much as anything else. I realize now that love isn't about being selfish, it's about being selfless. If Sasuke wants me to be a better lover, than I'll do anything to make that happen, because I know it will make him happy. I'd do just about anything to make him happy… because I love him. I truly love him."

Naruto smiled, his eyes distant. "I think perhaps that's why I always fought so hard to be his equal. I wanted to be good enough for him. Perhaps…I've loved him all this time and just never realized it."

Naruto took a breath. It felt strangely liberating to say it out loud. "I love his flaws as much as I love his perfections, which is why I know this love is real. I love his pride, and I love his anger, because they give him depth and they make him who he is. I love his past, and I love his future. I want to be a part of that future, though I may not be a big part. I even love the dark places in his heart that he tries to keep hidden, because I want to take those places and bring light to them. I understand now that when you find the right person, it's no longer just about you. It's about us."

Naruto stopped, feeling lighter than before. Kakashi was smiling in a way that once more made Naruto feel uneasy. "That was exactly what I needed to hear," the teacher chuckled. "I'm sorry to inform you of this, Naruto, but we will not be having sex now, or ever. I know this is a horrible loss on your part, but you'll figure out why in a moment. You've said exactly what you needed to say, and I wish you and Sasuke the best of luck in the future. And now, I need to bring the little bastard out of hiding."

Before Naruto could begin to comprehend what his teacher was saying, Kakashi swept down, pulled his mask a little to the side, and kissed Naruto so thoroughly it made him dizzy. Not two seconds later, a black blur swept between the two, and Naruto watched with wide eyes as Kakashi was carried several feet away from him. It looked downright comical to see his teacher flying through the air, as if by magic, after having just been quite passionately kissed by him.

Could this situation get any weirder?

"You perverted bastard!" a voice exclaimed, and the thudding sound of punches followed immediately afterwards.

Naruto quickly identified the voice as Sasuke's, and realized that the black blur now attacking his teacher had to be the other ninja.

"Calm down, Sasuke, I was only trying to help!" Kakashi ducked around a series of furious blows aimed at his face.

"I should kill you for daring to even touch Naruto, let alone kiss him!" The black blur slowed just enough for Naruto to see that it was indeed Sasuke, looking like a pale god in the midst of a tremendous fit of rage.

"I know you heard every word, little student of mine," Kakashi managed to say calmly even as the attack never slowed. "Don't you have something more important to do right now than throw punches?"

At that, the black blur disappeared, revealing Sasuke in its place with one hand gripping Kakashi's vest and the other drawn back into a fist. Slowly, the black-haired boy released his teacher and took a deep breath before turning around to face Naruto. The blond sucked in a deep breath. Sasuke was looking at him so intensely his heart skipped a beat.

In a flash, Sasuke appeared before him, and their eyes locked together.

"Naruto, there's something I need to say to you." Sasuke's voice was no louder than a whisper.

Naruto's muscles stiffened with anxiety. "Yes?"

Sasuke paused for a moment—he seemed to be thinking very hard—and then said, "I'm sorry I left before like I did. I was afraid of the truth, more afraid than I've ever been of anything. Neither of us have had an easy time with love in the past, so I hope you'll understand and forgive my indecision."

Naruto took a queasy breath and nodded. Sasuke continued, "I heard what Kakashi-sensei was saying to you, and that pervert is an idiot." He threw an acidic look over his shoulder at their teacher, to which Kakashi responded with a nonchalant shrug. "I don't regret what we did for a single instant…and it was my first time, too." Naruto had to admit to being mildly surprised. He didn't know a whole lot about sex, but to him it seemed Sasuke was a natural.

Sasuke continued, "There's no one in the world that I would rather have as my first than you. My body told me things that my heart didn't understand. The way it felt to be with you was more than just chemistry. Sex and love are meant to walk hand in hand, and only when combined do you get something like what we have." Sasuke's lips twitched into a smile. "I may not be experienced in either area, but I think I know enough to say there's something amazing between us."

Naruto blushed and nodded again, finding himself suddenly lost for words. Did this mean what he thought it meant?

Sasuke leaned close and nuzzled his face into Naruto's soft hair. "After I left you before, I realized the mistake I'd made almost immediately. I came back to try and fix things, only to find you standing with Kakashi-sensei. You can't begin to understand how it made me feel to see him touching you, to see you touching him back, even if you thought you were doing it for me." Sasuke pulled back and looked Naruto in the eye. "I never want to see you with someone else. You're mine and mine alone, from this day onward. Everything that you said…the things you were willing to do for me… I feel the same. I want you to know, Naruto, that I love you. I completely and truly love you."

He kissed Naruto softly, breathing in his sweet scent. With a twinge of nervousness, he waited for Naruto to respond.

The blond smiled slowly. "I love you too, Sasuke. Now, how are we going to explain this to Sakura?" Both boys burst out laughing.

Kakashi joined them, walking over and slapping them both on the back. "She'll get over it eventually. And if not, we could always just leave her here and hope that some forest-dweller comes along to woo her. Perhaps the forest would work the same magic on her that it worked on you two."

Still chuckling, the three men walked leisurely back to their campsite, watching their shadows slanting along the ground in front of them. Two of the shadows held wispy hands, blending together in the same way their owners lives were now blended together forever. And unlike the fleeting shadows, the love those two lives shared would not fade with the setting of the sun.

The End.


	12. Chapter 12

The day has finally arrived. **My original m/m romance novel is available for purchase!**

Please allow me a moment to FREAK THE FUCK OUT BECAUSE OMG I'M AN ACTUAL WRITER.

I'm updating a bunch of my fics so that hopefully everyone who's been asking about it will see this. The e-book version of my novel is now available, and the actual, physical book version will be available shortly. I've had a few International fans inquire about whether or not the book is available to them, and I can confirm that it is. You can get it anywhere in the world!

So, my novel is a contemporary slash romance where a young college student by the name of Nikolas is forced to transfer to a private, Catholic university under mysterious circumstances. Despite his desire to remain innocuous, he quickly gets drawn into a dangerous game of seduction played by the three most popular boys at the school, namely the "king" of the Academy, Seth Prinsen. Sexiness ensues.

**If you would like to read my book, here's a link for where you can find it:**

w w w dot lessthanthreepress dot com

I'm listed under the pen name Quinn Anderson, and the book is obviously called In Excess. It's in their Contemporary section.

Sorry I can't link you straight to the book, but FFN's spam filters have become impossible to get around lately. Anyways, remove the spaces, and that will take you to my book. There is also an un-spaced link to it on my profile, and you can always just google "In Excess Quinn Anderson", and it'll pop up.

One final thing, **I'm thinking of changing my pen name on this site from HieiAijin1410 to Quinn Anderson.** I mean, I picked this name when I was 15, and now I'm about to be 23, and my life is in a completely different place. Plus, now that I'm a professional, I want to go by my professional name. However, I'm worried that if I change it now after so many years, it will confuse the people who know me by that name. What do you guys think?_  
_

**As added incentive for picking up a copy of my book, **if you send me a print screen of your receipt or some other proof of purchase along with a fan fiction idea, I'll write it for you! Obviously this is time-contentious, as I have no idea how many requests I'll get, but that's going to be my way of thanking all of you for supporting my writing career.

Wish me luck!


	13. Chapter 13

My book is now available in paperback!

I'm updating for all of you who said you wanted a physical copy of it. Go to lessthanthreepress dot com OR amazon dot com OR barnesandnoble dot com and search "In Excess Quinn Anderson". It pops right up. I wish I could link you to it properly, but FFN's spam filters are absolute bastards.

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed and showed me support, and of course to everyone who bought my book!

I'm working on a new one now, so trust me this is not the last you'll see of me!

So much love,

Quinn Anderson.


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